Egypt: Home to Squash Champions!

In the 1920’s, the sport we know as “Squash” was introduced to Egypt by the British. Today, Egyptians dominate the global squash stage and no other sport has seen more success than squash in Egypt. Currently, “seven of the top-ten ranked players are Egyptian, including the world number one”.

Egyptian player Raneem El Weleily is known as one of the world's best squash players in the current competitive scene.

Squash is a sport played with a racket and ball by two to four players. Many professional squash players in Egypt are nurtured from a young age when their squash potential is displayed. In Egypt, there are “international competitions for squash players as young as age nine”. Retired professional players will also turn to mentorship and coaching gigs for some of their younger peers. There is abundant potential for a squash player in Egypt to reach great success and financial security.

Recently, high salaries aboard, such as in the United States, as well as a lack of funding at home, have “lured some of their best coaching talent away” and thus may prove a threat to Egypt’s global dominance. But over the last two decades, eight Egyptians have made it to top world squash rankings. It is likely that Egypt will continue its leading role in providing the most competitive and skilled squash players for the next coming generations.

Bibliography:

Al Jazeera. “Egypt's Squash Champions.” Egypt | Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 29 Oct. 2019, https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/aljazeeraworld/2019/10/egypt-squash-champions-191029142502807.html.