Development coaches from across Africa and Asia begin journey in Cairo (EGY) with first onsite course since pandemic 

Thirty three participants from across six African and Asian nations have climbed on to the first rung of the coaching ladder as they took part in a UIPM Coaches Certification Program (CCP) in Cairo (EGY) last month. 

The week-long CCP Level 1 course took place during the first leg of this year’s UIPM Pentathlon World Cup season, which kicked off in the Egyptian capital in March. 

Under the tutelage of Raouf Mahrous, a UIPM Level 4 coach from Egypt, the new coaches began their journey with a session that marked the first onsite coaching course since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. 

The 33 coaches represented six nations from the African and Asian confederations: Egypt, Uganda, Kuwait, Mauritius, India and Sudan. 

The staging of the course was helped enormously by the host nation with the Egyptian Modern Pentathlon Federation strongly supporting the week-long event which took place from March 17-21. 

Mahrous (EGY) put the participants through their paces with theoretical and practical lessons related to all of the training aspects of Laser Run and Swimming, particularly. 

With such a dedicated focus on developing nations in the UIPM family, the participation of coaches from these countries and regions is another significant sign of the progress and growth potential of UIPM sports. 

Educating and certifying Development Coaches to enable them to create a plan for recruitment strategies and talent identification has already proven to be hugely successful for the UIPM.

Chairman of the UIPM Coaches Committee Mr. Christian Roudaut (FRA) said: “I am so pleased to see the success of this recent CCP course in Cairo. For two particular reasons, this course is a hugely positive sign of our progress. Firstly, the presence of new coaches from emerging and developing nations across both Africa and Asian gives me great hope for the continued growth of Modern Pentathlon and our multisports. Also, having a course take place onsite for the first time since the pandemic is a great step forward for us all. I warmly thank instructor Raouf Mahrous and indeed the Egyptian federation, who backed this course with great enthusiasm.”

Course instructor Raouf Mahrous (EGY) said: “It was a great joy to be able to help so many enthusiastic new coaches to begin their journey here in Egypt. It was extra motivating to host and instruct candidates from nations that are just beginning to grow the sport. This is just the first step for these coaches but it can lead to great things for all involved. I thank the UIPM for their continued focus on the CCP and their recently relaunched Education Platform which has helped this process enormously.”

Visit the UIPM Educational Platform for a range of resources for coaches, judges and athletes.