Ruthless Egyptians dominate world of squash

ISLAMABAD: Egypt, once the outsiders in the game of squash, has started to dominate the game in a big way as seven of their leading players are occupying positions among the top 10 of the PSA ranking list released few days back.

Around two decades back, the country was having just one odd player among the top twenty, now the Egyptians hardly leave a place for any other country when it comes to dominating the circuit.

On the new PSA list, Ali Farag and Mohammad Elshorbagy are at one and two respectively with fast-improving Paul Coll (New Zealand) separating the Egyptian powerhouse of squash occupying the No 3 position. Tariq Momen, Marwan Elshorbagy, Karim Abdel Gawad, Fares Dessouky (all from Egypt) are placed at No 4, 5, 6, 7 respectively on the list, followed by Peru’s Diego Elias and Wales Joel Makin at No 8 and 9. Former world junior champion Mostafa Asal capping Egyptian’s top ten dominance.

Any country in the world has never shown such dominance on the PSA ranking list.

Egypt had produced a world champion in the mid-sixties when Abou Taleb won the British Open for three years in a row. Today, if victory was the cake these people would be gluttons.

In a recent interview, former world No 14 Omar El Borolossy said there were more than 2,000 players from age 5-10 years in his academies and two other squash clubs, enough to dominate the squash world for the next 20 years.

In all Egypt has around 400 courts and around 10,000 players pursuing the game but the finest players are clubbed in about ten clubs in two major cities — Alexandria and Cairo.

Since crafty lefty Amr Shabana won the world title in 2006, Egypt never looked back but no one knew and expect them to dominate the international circuit in such a ruthless fashion.

In comparison, once the powerhouse of squash Pakistan is now struggling to get its acts together when it comes to squash promotion at all levels.

On the latest ranking only Tayyab Aslam (45), Asem Khan (73) and Nasir Iqbal (77) could find a place among the top hundred players.

When it comes to nurseries in the country, only some selected youth are pursuing the game these days and that too half-heartedly.

Unless awareness for the game and promotion work starts on the war-footing, the chance of any immediate recovery from this consistent fall is highly unlikely. The country has not been able to produce even the world junior champion for the last almost 35 years now. The scenario is even worse at the senior level where years have passed since we spot a Pakistan player among the top ten in the world.