Victories Secured by Egyptian and Arab Squash during 2018

By: Maydaa Abo El-Nadar

CAIRO, Dec. 30 (SEE)- When it comes to squash, Egypt is considered the best country; thanks to its players’ continuous achievements. On the occasion of the New Year celebrations, here are the tournaments where Egyptian and Arab champions were singled out throughout 2018: 

1.​At the beginning of the year, the Saudi city of Riyadh hosted the Squash PSA Women’s Squash Masters 2018. In the final match Egypt’s Nour El-Sherbini beat her compatriot Raneem El-Welily by 3/0. 

2.​During the same month, January, New York, USA, hosted the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions 2018, one of the most prestigious international squash championships. At the men’s competition Egypt’s Tarek Momen was runner-up. At the women’s final match El-Sherbini defeated her compatriot NourEl-Tayeb. 

3.​Also in January, Nadine Shahin won the Edinburgh Sports Club Open 2018. Following this tournament Shahin won the Winnipeg Winter Club Women’s Open 2018, held in Canada. 

4.​The Ralph’s Texas Bar Open 2018 took place in Canada from the first to the fourth of February. Egypt’s Youssef Solimanwas the champion.

5.​Parallel to the Ralph’s Texas Bar Open, the Suburban Collection Motor City Open 2018, one of the most important international championships, was being celebrated in the USA. The winner was Egyptian Marwan El-Shorbagy. 

6.​For the second time in 2018, El-Welily won second place.  This was at Cleveland Classic 2018 in USA. 

7.​From 8 to 11 February USA celebrated the 20th Atlanta Open. Egyptian Mohamed Reda was the runner-up. He was also the Pilatus Indoors-Sekisui Open 2018’s runner-up. 

8.​Parallel to the 20th Atlanta Open, the Swedish city of Linköping hosted the UCS Swedish Open 2018. The championship finished with the victory of Egypt’s Ali Farag. 

9.​Speaking on an Arab level, Mohammad Al-Sarraj is one of the bright names in the squash world. Al-Sarraj was the champion of Hampshire Open 2018, which took place in England, from 15 to 18 February. 

10.​Windy City Open 2018 is the one of the most famous squash international championships. It took place from 22 to 28 February in Chicago, USA. At the men games Egyptian Mohamed El-Shorbagy was the winner. His brother Marwanwas the runner-up. El-Tayeb won the women competitions. Later, she also won the Carol Weymuller Open 2018. 

11.​Egypt’s Yathreb Adel was the Wasacth Advisors SalteLake City Open 2018’s champion. 

12.​From fifth to the ninth of March, the 15th Canary Wharf Classic 2018 took place in London. Mohamed El-Shorbagy won the first place, while Momen was placed the second. 

13.​Kuwaiti Abdullah Al Muzayen won the men’s edition of the Malaysian Squash Tour VI 2018. At the women’s edition, Egypt’s Hana Moataz was placed the second. 

14.​Incredible were the victories achieved by Egyptian youth players. After Egypt’s Mayar Hany won the Calgary CFO Consulting Services PSA Women’s Squash Week 2018, she won the Queen City Open 2018, where her compatriot Nada Abbaswas the runner-up. Hany won against Abbas in the final by 3-1. 

15.​Another Arab victory on Malaysian soil was that of Egypt’s Shehab Essam who won the Malaysian Squash Tour VII 2018.  

16.​Legendary squash Egyptian champion Ramy Ashour, nicknamed The Artist, won the Grasshopper Cup 2018, in Zurich, Switzerland. In the final, Ashour won over Mohamed El-Shorbagy, by 3-0.  

17.​Egypt’s Mohamed El-Sherbiny was the champion of the Annecy PSA Open 2018 that took place in Seydone, France. 

18.​In the men’s final of the Lagos International Squash Classic 2018, Egypt’s Karim El-Hammany, brother of the squash champion Hania El-Hammamy, won against his compatriot Ahmed Hosny, by 3-0. At the women’s final, Egypt’s Salma Youssef beat her compatriot Menna Nasser by 3-2. 

19.​The Macau Open 2018 took place in China from 29 March to 1 April. Egyptian Omar Mosaad was the men’s runner-up. At the women’s final, Egypt’s Nouran Gohar won over her compatriot Salma Hany, by 3-1. 

20.​Rowan El-Araby was the Richmond Open 2018’s runner-up. The tournament took place from 11 to 14 April in the USA. Afterwards, she won the Irish Squash Open 2018’s final, against her compatriot Zeina Mickawy, by 3-0. 

21.​El Gouna International Squash Open is one of the most prestigious international squash championships. It is held annually in April in Egypt. At the men’s final Marwan El-Shorbagy won against his compatriot Farag by 3-0. Regarding the women’s final, El-Welily won over her compatriot El-Sherbini by 3-1. 

22.​Egyptian rising squash star Mostafa Asal was the champion of Tour De Las Americas Mar Del Plata Open 2018 Decker Camiones Cup. He then won the Tour De Las Americas-Regatas Resistencia Open 2018. In addition, he was the champion of Tour De Las Americas-Paineiras Open Brasil 2018. 

23.​Egyptian Omar Abdel Meguid finished the second at the Abu Dhabi Open 2018. 

24.​Egypt’s Zahed Salem beat his compatriot YoussefSoliman, at the men’s final of the Chamberlain Squash Open 2018, by 3-0. At the women’s competition, Menna Hamed was the runner-up. 

25.​Mohamed El-Shorbagy was the runner-up at one of the most important championships, Allam British Open 2018. At the women’s final, again El-Sherbini beat El-Welily by 3-0. 

26.​Mohamed El-Shorbagy beat his compatriot Farag, at the mmen’s final of Atco PSA Dubai World Series Finals 2017-2018, by 3-1. At the women’s final, it was the third time for El-Sherbini to defeat El-Welily in a final match in 2018. That time the score was 3-1. 

27.​Egypt’s Youssef Ibrahim won the Grand Sport Armenia M5 Chalenger III 2018, held in the Armenian capital of Yerevan. 

28.​At the Tournament of Pyramides (Top) 2018, Egypt’s Hana Ramadan won the second place.

29.​J.P. Morgan China Squash Championship is categorized as a gold championship. Egyptian Mohamed Abouelghar won the men’s edition. El-Welily won the women’s edition.

30.​Another gold championship was Oracle NetSuite Open 2018. In the men’s final Farag won over Mohamed El-Shorbagyby 3-1. El-Welily was the women competitions’ runner-up.

31.​FS Investments U.S. Open Squash Championships 2018, categorized as platinum, took place in the USA, from 6 to 13 October. Mohamed El-Shorbagy won the men’s games. At the women’s final, El-Welily beat El-Sherbini by 3-0. 

32.​Channel Vas Championships at St George’s Hill 2018 is also categorized as gold. At the final Momen beat Farag by 3-2. 

33.​Farag won the Qatar Classic 2018, categorized as platinum, and Mosaad was the QSF No.1 2018, categorized as bronze. Both tournaments were held in the Qatari capital of Doha. 

34.​Mohamed El-Shorbagy beat Farag at the men’s final, at the Everbright Sun Hung Kai Hong Kong Open 2018, by 3-0. El-Welily was the runner-up. The level of the championship was platinum.  

35.​Egyptian champion Karim Abdel Gawad won the Golootl Pakistan Open Squash Championship 2018 whose level is bronze. Yathreb Adel won the women’s final against her compatriot Nadine Shahin, by 3-0. 

36.​Egypt hosted another championship under the title of CIB Black Ball Squash Open 2018. The tournament’s level was platinum. In the final, Abdel Gawad beat Farag by 3-1.