Mohamed Hassan Helmi is one of the most famous members of the club now known as Zamalek. He took up football during his days in government schools and joined Zamalek, known then as Mukhtalat, in 1934. From then until his 1948 retirement, he won the Cairo League (predecessor to the Egyptian Premier League) six times (1940, 1941, and 1944-1947) and the Egypt Cup five times (1935, 1938, 1941, 1943, and 1944). He was also selected to represent Egypt at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, although he did not see any playing time because the team was eliminated in round one by Austria. Following his competitive career, he was active in the administration of the Zamalek Club, eventually serving as president from 1967 through 1984, minus a short break in 1971-1972. He also held positions with the Egyptian Football Association, including the presidency, and served as referee, both domestically and internationally. He refused compensation for his administrative activities, drawing a salary from his position in the Ministry of Agriculture instead.
Egypt