Abdel Rahman Hafez

Alexandria-born Abdel Rahman Hafez represented Egypt in two editions of the Olympic basketball tournament, with the team being eliminated in the group stages in both 1948 and 1952. He had more luck at the European Championships (known as EuroBasket), winning gold in 1949 and bronze in 1947, as well as the inaugural Mediterranean Games in 1951, where he also captured gold. He was also fifth at the 1950 World Championships and eighth at the 1953 Europeans. He earned a degree in physical education from King Fuad I University (now Cairo University) and travelled to the United States following the end of his competitive career to earn a master’s degree and a doctorate from Indiana University. He then spent the rest of his life as a researcher and professor in human physical activity, and also coached the Purdue University basketball team.