The President of Egyptian Chess Federation and FIDE Executive Board member, Dr. Hesham Elgendy was nominated by WAFUNIF of ECOSOC United Nations as one of the most 20 Arab Influential Figures in recognition for the support of Sports and Education.

Elgendy came in the 15th place in the list for his achievements with Egyptian chess in the last two years. The Egyptian men & women chess team won two Gold medals at Tromso Olympiad 2014 in categories B & C. Egyptian players dominated most of the African and Arab events. They won 19 medals including 9 Gold medals in the first Arab Chess Olympiad in Morocco – October 2015.
He has succeed to apply chess in schools program (with Ministry of Education) and chess in more than 4000 Youth Centers in Egypt.
HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohamed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum, crown prince of Dubai, came in the first place followed by the Egyptian Youth & Sports Minister, Khaled Abdel Aziz in the second place.