Gezira Sporting Club

Infobox Company
name= Gezira Sporting Club

type= Club
genre= Sports
foundation= 1882
founder= flagicon|UKAnglo-Egyptians
location_city= flagicon|EgyptZamalek, Cairo
location_country= Egypt
location=
key_people= Ahmed Saiid Chairman
revenue=
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homepage= N/A
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Gezira Sporting Club ( _ar. نادى الجزيرة الرياضى, transliteration:"nādī al-ǧazyrah al-reyādī") is the largest multi-sport facility in Egypt. It was founded in 1882 and was originally called Khedivial Sporting Club.

Club's history

The Gezira Sporting Club's convert|150|acre|km2 were carved out of the Khedivial Botanical Gardens, hence the acacias and gardens that decorated the area. Once the land was formally leased to the British military command, club rules were licensed and the land was divided into several recreational playing grounds. At first, the club was for the use of the British Army only.
Club membership was restricted to applicants elected by the committee, on the recommendation of two members; and that rule excludes British army officers, who were automatically enrolled. There were about 750 members. The entrance fee was L.E. 2. The various subscriptions were as follows:
* Life members: L.E. 50
* Resident members (married): L.E. 5
* Resident members (unmarried): L.E. 3.6
* Country members (meaning those living outside a radius of 23 kilometers from the Cairo Post Office in Attaba Square): L.E. 2Guests could visit the club whenever accompanied by those members by purchasing Day Passes for 5 piastres.
In 1906, the club members requested from the Egyptian government to own the club, but request was refused. Instead, they were allowed to lease the club for 60 years.
The exclusive character of the club was maintained until after World War II, when, in January 1952, it was nationalized. It was converted into a public club. And 9 of its 18 hole golf course were lost to a youth club that built by the Egyptian government on the club premises. The ethos and structure of the club were further altered during the anti-Western years of the Nasser regime. Most of the Gezira Sporting Club were Egyptians, but yet the club's members were the elite of the society.
In the early 1960s, Egyptian government toke again the club’s premises, but this time taking half of its premises to make room for a public club to promote sports among the common man, the club was called El Ahly Club. This move was interrupted that; since Gamal Abdel Nasser was a common man, he used to envy the aristocrats and did this to take one dear thing from the elite, giving it to the poor. These sort of actions made Gamal Abdel Nasser loved and popular among the middle and lower classes of Egypt at that time.

After that, during Anwar Al Sadat’s regime a suspended highway was built over the remaining nine-hole golf course and six-furlong horse race track.

Despite the vandalism attempts it suffered from, the Gezira Sporting Club still offers most of the sports and games practiced by its founders: golf, tennis, squash, croquet, horse riding and cricket.

What had started as a British military club, evolved into one of Egypt's greatest outdoor attractions. Over the next five decades Gezira Sporting Club remained both a landmark and one of Cairo's greatest assets.

Golf

; About the Course : 18 holes (played on 9 fairways), Par 70, convert|5860|yd, rating 68, three tees.; Who can Play : Annual members; Golf Services: Pro Shop, caddies, trolleys, driving range, club rental

The 125 year old, par 70 golf course, was the first in Egypt, and was once its best. Before the Nasser Era, it was an 18 hole course used only by British nationals.

Tennis

Ever since 1907, Gezira Sporting Club was the official home of Egypt's lawn tennis with open tournaments and championships held on its clay courts at regular intervals. As of 1925, international celebrities took part in these widely attended events.
Despite, the launch of the Egyptian Lawn Tennis Association Championship in 1934, Gezira Sporting Club continued to offer its two cups:
* The Doherty: awarded for the singles.
* The Slazenger: awarded for the doubles.

Current Sports

There are currently about 39 sports played in Gezira Sporting Club. Of them:

Other branch

Like many big clubs in Egypt, the Gezira Sporting Club is in the process of building another branch; in 6th of October City. The club had signed a contract for a 50 acre piece of land and that the down payment was paid and the construction started.

ee also

* List of clubs in Egypt
* Cairo

External links

* [http://www.egy.com/landmarks/96-02-10.shtml Gezira Sporting Club's history]
* [http://www.gezirattt.com Gezira Club's Table tennis team homepage]