In 1999 he was recruited by former African shot put champion Nagui Asaad, who was setting up a throwing school that also included hammer thrower Mohsen El Anany and shot putter Yasser Fathy. After having a try with the different implements, he settled for the discus and rapidly made his debut in the national team. In 2000, aged 16, he was selected for the Egyptian team for the World Junior Championships, where he finished in 17th. That year he also won the Arab Championships with a throw of 53.07 m. At the 2002 World Junior Championships, a poor result of 10th was due to a shoulder injury. In 2003, his final year as a junior, he set a new junior world record of 65.88.