Ismael Ramzi took up diving as a student at Egyptian University (now Cairo University) and quickly found success at the national level, specializing in the springboard. He was studying there when he was selected to represented his country at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he placed 11th among 24 entrants. World War II interrupted his career, but he returned to competition after the conflict, this time representing the Egyptian Army. He was again selected for the Olympics in 1948, where he placed 15th overall in the springboard. He won at least one more national championship the following year, but was retired by the next edition of the Games. By career, he was a medical doctor.