MARSA ALAM, Egypt, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Marsa Alam, a resort city on Egypt's Red Sea coast, has hosted a sports tourism festival featuring Chovqan, a traditional horseback game, as Egypt looks to expand sports tourism.
During the event which ended on Sunday, Chovqan, a traditional horse-riding game played on a flat, grassy field by two competing teams, was introduced as one of Egypt's emerging sports.
The event drew wide international participation, underscoring Egypt's growing push to leverage sports tourism as a pillar of sustainable development. Players from Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Poland, Ghana and Kuwait took part in the festival, highlighting the cross-border appeal of Chovqan and its capacity to build cultural and sporting bridges among nations.
"The festival, which attracted tourists, reflects a broader strategy to position Egypt's coastal cities as hubs for international sporting events," Farag Abdel Maqsoud, undersecretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in the Red Sea province, told Xinhua.
He described Chovqan as a relatively new sport in Egypt that combines football skills with equestrian techniques, requiring a high level of physical fitness, mental focus and precise coordination between player and horse.
"These characteristics make it particularly suitable for open tourist destinations, especially beaches and coastal areas," Abdel Maqsoud said.
Egyptian tourism expert Mohamed Othman labeled Chovqan as a qualitative addition to Egypt's sports tourism portfolio. Othman, head of the Egyptian Cultural Tourism Marketing Committee in Upper Egypt, said the sport's excitement and visual appeal align well with resort environments.
"Marsa Alam was chosen for its natural assets and advanced tourism infrastructure," Othman explained, noting that the festival contributes to diversifying Egypt's tourism product and opens new horizons for combining sports and cultural tourism."
He added that Chovqan represents an innovative step toward using equestrian sports as a cultural and tourism attraction, noting its potential to draw Arab tourists, particularly from Gulf Cooperation Council countries, where horse riding holds deep-rooted cultural significance.
"Chovqan brings together authenticity and modernity, making it especially attractive to Arab visitors," he said.
Wael El-Gendy, head of the Egyptian Chovqan Federation, which is being established, said Marsa Alam offers an ideal setting for integrating sport with tourism.
"The game relies on wide open spaces and scenic natural settings, which are abundantly available here," El-Gendy said, adding that "the festival sends a clear message that Egypt can introduce new sports to the world from the heart of its tourist cities."
He said plans are underway to identify talent, expand the sport across provinces, and link it with universities, sports clubs and tourism events.
Athletes participating in the festival echoed this optimism. Yosra Walid, Egypt's national Chovqan champion, described the experience as exceptional, saying that hosting the competition in a Red Sea resort city added a distinctive atmosphere and heightened enthusiasm.
"Chovqan is a unique sport, and its players need strong ball control, balance, concentration, and complete harmony with the horse. It's both enjoyable and challenging," Walid added.
Farid Eyvazov, executive director of the International Chovqan Federation, said hosting the festival in Marsa Alam marked an important step toward expanding the sport regionally and internationally.
"Egypt has the natural and human resources to become a regional center for Chovqan in the Middle East and Africa," he said, adding that Egypt has the potential to host major international events in the future.
Tourism, one of Egypt's main sources of foreign currency, marked an exceptional performance in 2025, as it welcomed nearly 19 million tourists, achieving a 21 percent increase compared to 2024, mostly driven by cultural and ancient monument sites, according to official figures.
In recent years, Egypt has sought to diversify its tourism attractions to include sports, medical and other sectors.
Chovqan's debut in Marsa Alam demonstrates how innovative sports rooted in cultural heritage can transform resort cities into dynamic arenas for international engagement by blending competition, culture and tourism into a single spectacle, Othman pointed out. ■