Doaa Elghobashy: History maker defying the odds

At only 26, Doaa Elghobashy has already written herself into history books and earned legendary status both on and off the court. Adding to her list of achievements, Elghobashy was recently appointed to the FIVB Athletes’ Commission, making her the first member from the African continent to sit on this prestigious commission.

“It’s a pleasure and I am so proud. It means a lot to me and it’s a great opportunity to serve all players in the world and specifically African players who face unique challenges during their careers,” said Elghobashy, who also serves in the same capacity at the Egyptian National Olympic Committee.

Born in Alexandria on 8 November 1996, Elghobashy rose to prominence at the Olympic Games Rio 2016.

Egypt’s Doaa Elgobashy (left) in action against Germany during their opening match of Rio 2016

“This was the biggest moment of my career. Playing at the Olympic Games was a dream come true,” said Elghobashy who is also hoping to qualify for Paris 2024.

In addition to enjoying much success on the sand while representing Egypt, Elghobashy is also an accomplished indoor volleyball player for both club (Al Ahly) and country.

Beach volleyball

Elghobashy’s accomplished career with the beach volleyball national team took off when she won gold at the CAVB Africa Beach Volleyball Continental Cup 2016 to qualify for Rio 2016. She also won the 2018 edition of the Continental Cup and followed it up with another gold medal performance at the 2019 African Games. She also claimed gold three consecutive times at the Arab Nations Championship from 2015 to 2017.

She also played at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Germany

At the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships 2019 in Hamburg, Elghobashy represented Egypt alongside Randa Radwan, and participated in the 2022 edition in Rome with Farida El Askalany.

Indoor volleyball

Elghobashy’s indoor career has earned her medals at both club and national team level. It all started when she joined the Delphi academy in Alexandria at the age of six, before moving to Cairo to join Elentag Elharby as a ten-year-old. Two years later, she returned to Alexandria to play for Sporting Club for four years.

In 2015, Elghobashy was on the move again, joining Wadi Degla and then signing for El Shams two years later. Her impressive displays finally earned her a dream move to record Egyptian league champions Al Ahly in 2019, with whom she won her first league title that year.

Since then, she has won four more league titles and added four domestic cups to her impressive resume. She also claimed a silver medal at the CAVB African Clubs Championship 2022 with Al Ahly.

Doaa Elghobashy at the FIVB U23 World Championship 2017

With Egypt’s national teams, Elghobashy won bronze at the CAVB African Nations Championship 2017 and played in the FIVB U23 World Championship 2017 in Slovenia.

The 26-year-old opposite recently won silver medals with the Egypt women’s national team at the CAVB African Nations Championship 2023, and is now shifting her focus to qualification for Paris 2024 through her first love, beach volleyball.

Elghobashy is an extremely valuable addition to the FIVB Athletes’ Commission and will play a key role in ensuring a bright future for the sport by bringing an important perspective to the Commission.