An Olympic Hockey Player from Egypt?

 Name the only Olympic ice hockey player who was born in Egypt.

I would not blame you if you thought this was a trick question and the answer is no one. I mean, c'mon, a hockey player from Egypt? And at the the Olympic level? No way.

But this is no pyramid scheme. No, there actually was an Olympic ice hockey player who was born in Egypt.

His name was George Edward Frederick Rogers, but he seems to be known universally as John.

John Rogers was born in Alexandria, Egpyt in 1910. His parents were located there as father, a wealthy cotton broker originally from Liverpool, was working for an extended stretch.

The family did return Britain at some point, but soon after that a young John was sent a top boarding school near St. Moritz, Switzerland. It is believed it is here that he took up the game of hockey, serving as the school's goaltender.

Upon graduation he returned to England and further pursued the game on ice. Though he was not the most experienced goalie available to Britain, he was named to the 1928 British Olympic hockey team where he played 4 of the team's 7 games. Most of the British players in those days were imports, normally from Canada, like the team's other goalie, William Speechly. But Egypt was a new one!

Ultimately Britain finished fourth place and was out of the medals. Speechly, not Rogers, was in net against the mighty Canadians - a 14-0 loss.

Statistical records are scarce, but it seems Rogers played hockey at least through 1932, and was part of the 1930 World Championships team, though it is uncertain that he played any games there. The team finished 10th overall.

Not a lot more is out there about John Rogers. The SIHR database suggests at some point he studied at Oxford but is not believed to have played hockey there. They also suggest that in 1947 he was married to the daughter of Sir Abraham Bailey, 1st Baronet, a South African gold tycoon, politician, financier and cricketeer. In the 1930s Bailey was known as one of the richest men in the world. Rogers may have been cut off from the Bailey riches after 1958 when the couple divorced.

Nothing more is known about John Rogers from that point on, including his date of death.