NSF SQUASH: Happy Easter

The Nigeria Squash Federation wishes everyone a happy Easter celebration.

DAY ONE update at the ongoing EL GOUNA INTERNATIONAL

The 2019 El Gouna International gets underway on Wednesday, with a host of action at the EL Gouna Squash Complex.

It is the eighth edition of the annual men's PSA World Tour Platinum event, with the second edition of the women's event also taking place.

The action gets underway at 12:00 local time (GMT+2), as eight-time World Champion Nicol David gets her campaign underway.

She faces wildcard entry Jana Shiha, who is just one of a raft of Egyptians who get their tournament started on Wednesday.

Mayar Hany, Mazen Hesham, Mostafa Asal and Mariam Metwally are just some of the other home favourites to play their first round matches at the Sports Complex today.

Matches – Court One
12:00 – [WC] Jana Shiha (EGY) v Nicol David (MAS)
12:45 – Mazen Gamal (EGY) v Cameron Pilley (AUS)
13:30 – Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) v Nele Gilis (BEL)
14:15 – Ivan Yuen (MAS) v Tom Richards (ENG)

Matches – Court Two
12:00 – Mayar Hany (EGY) v Tinne Gilis (BEL)
12:45 – Mazen Hesham (EGY) v Joshua Masters (ENG)
13:30 – Emily Whitlock (ENG) v Nada Abbas (EGY)
14:15 – Edmon Lopez (ESP) v Leo Au (HKG)

Matches – Court Three
12:00 – Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) v Mariam Metwally (EGY)
12:45 – Mostafa Asal (EGY) v Campbell Grayson (NZL)
13:30 – Danielle Letourneau (CAN) v Milou van der Heijden (NED)
14:15 – Adrian Waller (ENG) v [WC] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY)

Matches – Court Four
12:00 – Coline Aumard (FRA) v Haley Mendez (USA)
12:45 – Borja Golan (ESP) v Ben Coleman (ENG)
13:30 – Rachael Grinham (AUS) v Lisa Aitken (SCO)

You can follow the live scores here.

Aumard and Metwally Secure Berths in Second Round
READMORE

2019 UGANDA SQUASH OPEN TOURNAMENT

Over 70 players will be participating at this year's Uganda Open Squash Tournament.  The 2017 Chamberlain Squash Open winner "Tom Ford" will be participating at this year's Uganda squash Open tourney.  Also present will be our very own best Idowu Enimakure alias Garba Abdulateef.

Cash prize breakdown: Winner 1500$,
Runner up 1200$
Semis finals 500$each
Quarter finals 120$

EL GOUNA: DAVID SURVIVES AGAINST WILDCARD ON DAY ONE

Eight-time World Champion Nicol David survived a scare against Egyptian wildcard Jana Shiha on day one of the El Gouna International, PSA World Tour Platinum event as the prevailed in a gripping five-game battle at the El Gouna Squash Complex.

The top half of the first round action took place today, and Malaysia’s David, a former World No.1, booked her place in the last 32 thanks to an 11-7, 6-11, 13-11, 6-11, 11-8 victory.

Youth met experience as 17-year-old Shiha performed admirably in front of her home crowd, and she twice came back from behind to level the match before pulling ahead to 8-6 in the fifth to put herself on the brink of a massive upset. But David, 35, dug in and used her experience to come back to take the win, setting up a round two clash with World No.1 Raneem El Welily on the glass court at the El Gouna Marina.

“I did what I could, I knew these youngsters are trying to take any opportunities that come their way,” said David.

“I was playing pretty well, but then she found the windows to take the opportunities and she played really well. I lost a bit of my focus on the ball and my timing, and at the end I knew I had to really dig deep. My focus came in at the right time, and I’m very pleased to win that 3-2.

“I’ve been here before (staring down the barrel of a defeat) and it takes a lot to get back. I had to see the ball and hit it, so that was all I did. I was very pleased to come out 3-2 and win it in a close match, but I really needed to fight.”

Also surviving in five games was World No.21 Emily Whitlock, as she came from two games behind to overcome another Egyptian, Nada Abbas.
READ MORE

Egypt’s Marwan ElShorbagy to Headline Wimbledon Club Squash Squared Open

Egypt’s World No.11 Marwan ElShorbagy will lead the line-up at the Wimbledon Club Squash Squared Open when the PSA World Tour Bronze tournament takes place from May 11-16 in London, England.

This year’s tournament, which takes place at the Wimbledon Club, will be the fourth instalment of the event and the largest to date with a prize purse of $50,000 on offer.

Last season saw France’s Mathieu Castagnet claim the title, his first PSA title triumph in two years, and the Frenchman will once again return to defend his title at this year’s event.

ElShorbagy and Castagnet will be joined by some big names in men’s squash, including Egypt’s former World No.3 Omar Mosaad, England’s No.1 Declan James and former World No.1 James Willstrop.

Alongside James and Willstrop, there is a strong English contingent featuring at the tournament with the likes of last season’s runner-up Tom Richards, Daryl Selby, Chris Simpson and George Parker all battling it out for the title, while the wildcard spots are occupied by Jordan Warne and Tom Walsh.

The likes of Mexico’s Cesar Salazar, France’s Lucas Serme and Egypt’s World Junior champion Mostafa Asal will also all be in action in the English capital.

The event is a significant fundraiser for Squash Squared, which is a UK registered squash and education charity supporting disadvantaged students for academic and sporting success. Tickets can be purchased via the tournament website and prices start from £20 for adults and £10 for juniors.

For more information visit the tournament website or follow them on Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow the Squash Squared charity on Twitter and Instagram.

Entry List

Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
Omar Mosaad (EGY)
Declan James (ENG)
James Willstrop (ENG)
Tom Richards (ENG)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
Daryl Selby (ENG)
Cesar Salazar (MEX)
Lucas Serme (FRA)
Chris Simpson (ENG)
George Parker (ENG)
Mostafa Asal (EGY)
Fares Dessouky (EGY)
Ben Coleman (ENG)
Ramit Tandon (IND)
Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP)
Baptiste Masotti (FRA)
Olli Tuominen (FIN)
Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND)
Asim Khan (PAK)
Carlos Cornes Ribadas (ESP)
Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA)
Jordan Warne (ENG)
Tom Walsh (ENG)

Draws Released for 2019 Allam British Open

Defending champion Miguel Rodriguez has been pitted on the same side of the draw as last year’s runner-up Mohamed ElShorbagy after the draws for the 2019 Allam British Open were released today (Tuesday April 16).

Taking place between May 20-26 at the University of Hull Sports and Fitness Centre, the British Open is squash’s longest-running tournament and Rodriguez will return to defend his crown 12 months after becoming the first South American ever to lift the prestigious title.The 33-year-old from Bogota receives a bye into round two, where he will face either Switzerland’s Nicolas Mueller or New Zealand’s Campbell Grayson. The World No.7 is seeded to play World No.2 ElShorbagy in the quarter-finals in a rematch of last year’s final.

 ElShorbagy, a two-time British Open champion, also receives a bye in round one and could come up against crowd favourite and three-time runner-up James Willstrop in the last 32 if the Englishman can get the better of India’s Ramit Tandon.

Top seed Ali Farag will face either compatriot Mostafa Asal or Frenchman Gregoire Marche in round two and will have to navigate a tricky draw that could see him play the likes of World No.11 Marwan ElShorbagy, World No.8 Mohamed Abouelghar and World No.3 Tarek Momen en route to the final.

 Elsewhere, Germany’s Raphael Kandra will look to follow up his giant-killing run to the semi-finals of last year’s tournament and he will take on Marwan ElShorbagy - who he beat en route - in round two.

Meanwhile, England’s top male player Declan James gets a bye into the second round, where he will face former World No.3 Omar Mosaad.

 The women’s draw is headed up by 2018 runner-up Raneem El Welily, who will face either 2008 runner-up Jenny Duncalf or World Junior Champion Rowan Elaraby in the second round.

World No.1 El Welily is seeded to play United States No.1 Amanda Sobhy in round three, World No.7 Nouran Gohar in the quarter-finals and World No.3 Nour El Tayeb in the semis.

Five-time winner Nicol David will appear at the final tournament of her distinguished career after announcing her decision to retire at the end of this season. The legendary Malaysian will take on compatriot Rachel Arnold in round one, and a win for the 35-year-old will see her lock horns with El Tayeb.

World No.2 Nour El Sherbini beat El Welily to win her second British Open title last May, and she will begin her tournament against either fellow Egyptian Mayar Hany or France’s Coline Aumard.

She is pitted on the same side of the draw as former champions Laura Massaro and Camille Serme and is seeded to face the latter in the semi-finals.

World No.6 Sarah-Jane Perry - the highest-ranked English player on the PSA Tour - will play either Hollie Naughton or a wildcard in the second round as she looks to do one better than her runner-up finish in Hull in 2017.

In addition to one of the sport’s most iconic titles, points for the season-ending PSA World Tour Finals will also be up for grabs as players battle for a top eight place on the PSA World Tour Finals Leaderboard, which will see them qualify for June’s showpiece event in Cairo.

Matches from the glass court will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (up to and including quarter-finals, excluding Europe and Japan). Semi-finals and finals will also be broadcast on mainstream channels around the world such as BT Sport, Fox Sports Australia and Astro.

For all of the latest news on the 2019 British Open, please visit www.allambritishopen.com or follow the tournament on Twitter: @BritOpenSquash


2019 Allam British Open - Men’s Main Draw

[1] Ali Farag (EGY) [bye]

Mostafa Asal (EGY) v [17/32] Gregoire Marche (FRA)

[9/16] Raphael Kandra (GER) [bye]

[9/16] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) [bye]

[9/16] Diego Elias (PER) [bye]

Alan Clyne (SCO) v [17/32] Borja Golan (ESP)

[17/32] Adrian Waller (ENG) v George Parker (ENG)

[8] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) [bye]

[5] Paul Coll (NZL) [bye]

Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) v [17/32] Mazen Hesham (EGY)

[17/32] Max Lee (HKG) v Todd Harrity (USA)

Cameron Pilley (AUS) v [17/32] Lucas Serme (FRA)

[17/32] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) v [WC] Joshua Masters (ENG)

Fares Dessouky (EGY) v [17/32] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)

[9/16] Joel Makin (WAL) [bye]

[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) [bye]

[4] Simon Rösner (GER) [bye]

Eain Yow Ng (MAS) v [17/32] Tom Richards (ENG)

[9/16] Omar Mosaad (EGY) [bye]

[9/16] Declan James (ENG) [bye]

[17/32] Greg Lobban (SCO) v Ivan Yuen (MAS)

[9/16] Zahed Salem (EGY) [bye]

[9/16] Saurav Ghosal (IND) [bye]

[6] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) [bye]

[7] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) [bye]

Campbell Grayson (NZL) v [17/32] Nicolas Mueller (SUI)

[17/32] Cesar Salazar (MEX) v Chris Simpson (ENG)

Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) v [17/32] Leo Au (HKG)

[17/32] Daryl Selby (ENG) v Ben Coleman (ENG)

[WC] Patrick Rooney (ENG) v [17/32] Youssef Soliman (EGY)

[17/32] James Willstrop (ENG) v Ramit Tandon (IND)

[2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) [bye]



2019 Allam British Open - Women's Main Draw

[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) [bye]

Jenny Duncalf (ENG) v [17/32] Rowan Elaraby (EGY)

[17/32] Samantha Cornett (CAN) v Alexandra Fuller (RSA)

[9/16] [12] Amanda Sobhy (USA) [bye]

[9/16] [14] Salma Hany (EGY) [bye]

Amanda Landers-Murphy (NZL) v [17/32] Joey Chan (HKG)

[17/32] Emily Whitlock (ENG) v Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG)

[7] Nouran Gohar (EGY) [bye]

[5] Joelle King (NZL) [bye]

Low Wee Wern (MAS) v [17/32] Fiona Moverley (ENG)

[17/32] Yathreb Adel (EGY) v Haley Mendez (USA)

[10] Alison Waters (ENG) [bye]

[9/16] [11] Annie Au (HKG) [bye]

Olivia Fiechter (USA) v [17/32] Zeina Mickawy (EGY)

[17/32] Nicol David (MAS) v Rachel Arnold (MAS)

[3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) [bye]

[4] Camille Serme (FRA) [bye]

Lisa Aitken (SCO) v [17/32] Milou van der Heijden (NED)

[17/32] Mariam Metwally (EGY) v Julianne Courtice (ENG)

[9] Tesni Evans (WAL) [bye]

[16] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) [bye]

[WC] Lucy Turmel (ENG) v [17/32] Nele Gilis (BEL)

[17/32] Rachael Grinham (AUS) v Tinne Gilis (BEL)

[8] Laura Massaro (ENG) [bye]

[6] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) [bye]

[17/32] Hollie Naughton (CAN) [bye]

[17/32] Millie Tomlinson (ENG) v Danielle Letourneau (CAN)

[15] Joshna Chinappa (IND) [bye]

[13] Victoria Lust (ENG) [bye]

Melissa Alves (FRA) v [17/32] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA)

[17/32] Mayar Hany (EGY) v Coline Aumard (FRA)

[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) [bye]

Squash: 2018/19 PSA World Tour Finals to Be Held in Cairo

The prestigious PSA World Tour Finals will be held in Egypt for the first time after an agreement was reached today by the Professional Squash Association (PSA) and title sponsors CIB to bring the world’s leading squash players to the Wadi Degla Club in Cairo between June 8-13 for the 2018/19 edition of the season-ending tournament.

Featuring the world’s top eight male and female players, the CIB PSA World Tour Finals will act as the season finale to the 2018/19 PSA World Tour campaign and has been successfully staged in Dubai over the past three seasons at venues such as the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Opera and Emirates Golf Club.

The CIB PSA World Tour Finals will be the third major professional squash tournament to be held at the Wadi Degla Club after it hosted the 2016 PSA Men’s World Championships and the 2014 PSA Women’s World Championships.

"The PSA World Tour Finals always provides a fitting climax to the PSA World Tour season and we are excited to be staging this season’s tournament in Cairo," said PSA Chairman and A. A. Turki Group of Companies (ATCO) Chairman Ziad Al-Turki.

"With a number of the sport’s highest-ranking players hailing from Egypt, squash already has significant presence and popularity in the country, and we hope to build on that by holding the World Tour Finals there.

"I would like to thank both the Wadi Degla Club and CIB for their support in staging this event, and I look forward to watching the action unfold in June."

CIB Chief Executive and Board Member, Hussein Abaza, said: "We are delighted to sponsor the PSA World Tour Finals and remain committed to supporting world-class squash in Egypt. We have been involved in a number of major tournaments in the region already this season, while we will also serve as title sponsor for the PSA Women's World Championships, which will bring the world's best back to the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the most iconic venues in sporting history.

"Our sponsorship of the PSA World Tour Finals will see us build on a successful partnership with PSA, and I for one cannot wait to see some of the greatest athletes in world sport take to the court in Cairo in June."

Wadi Degla Squash Director, Karim Darwish, said: "We are excited to be bringing the PSA World Tour finals to Egypt for the first time in the tournament’s history, and I believe that the Wadi Degla Club will provide the perfect venue for squash’s season finale.

"The Wadi Degla Club is no stranger to hosting the world’s biggest squash tournaments and I look forward to welcoming players to Cairo on June 8th for what promises to be a thrilling week. I would also like to thank CIB for their support and look forward to working with both them and PSA in the coming months."

The six-day event will bring together the greatest squash talents on the PSA World Tour, with a total prize purse of $320,000 split equally between the men’s and women’s events thanks to the generosity of sponsors CIB, ATCO, and also the Wadi Degla Club. Players will be split into two groups of four and will play round-robin best-of-three matches in the group stages, with the top two from each group progressing to the knockout semi-finals and beyond.

To qualify for the CIB PSA World Tour Finals, players must finish in the top eight of the PSA World Tour Finals Leaderboard, with points on offer at all PSA World Tour events during the 2018/19 season.

Winning a PSA Platinum tournament also guarantees qualification for the World Tour Finals. World No.1 Ali Farag tops the men’s leaderboard and has already qualified after winning the PSA World Championships, J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions and the Qatar Classic this season. He sits ahead of compatriot Mohamed ElShorbagy, whose wins at the U.S. Open and Hong Kong Open have seen him also qualify.

Karim Abdel Gawad is the other player to have already earned his place in Cairo after triumphing in December’s Black Ball Open. The other players in the top eight of the men’s leaderboard are Egypt’s Tarek Momen, Germany’s Simon Rösner, New Zealand’s Paul Coll, Peru’s Diego Elias and Egypt's Mohamed Abouelghar. The likes of India’s Saurav Ghosal and Colombia’s Miguel Rodriguez also remain in contention for a place in the top eight, with just four men’s PSA World Tour events left this season.

World No.1 Raneem El Welily heads up the women’s leaderboard and has qualified for Cairo courtesy of her title win in October’s U.S. Open. She is followed by World No.2 Nour El Sherbini, who won both the PSA World Championship and the Tournament of Champions.

New Zealand’s Joelle King is the other automatic qualifier after lifting her maiden Platinum title at the Hong Kong Open in November.

Egypt’s Nour El Tayeb, France’s Camille Serme, England’s Sarah-Jane Perry, Wales’ Tesni Evans and Egypt’s Nouran Gohar make up the rest of the top eight. English duo Alison Waters and Laura Massaro, and Unites States No.1 Amanda Sobhy sit just outside the top eight and face a race against time to earn a top eight berth, with three women’s PSA World Tour events left.

Two more Platinum tournaments remain this season, with the El Gouna International and Allam British Open still to come in April and May, respectively. The men’s XII Torneo Internacional PSA Sporta, Bronze tournament, which is held between May 29 - June 2, will be the last ranking PSA World Tour event of the season.

Tickets for the season-ending CIB PSA World Tour Finals will go on sale soon.

WORLD NO.1S EL WELILY AND FARAG CROWNED DPD OPEN SQUASH CHAMPIONS

Egypt’s World No.1s Ali Farag and Raneem El Welily are the 2019 DPD Open Squash champions after they claimed respective wins over Mohamed ElShorbagy and Nour El Sherbini in Eindhoven, Netherlands today.

The PSA World Tour Gold tournament was held at the brand new DPD headquarters in the Dutch city to mark the grand opening of their new distribution centre and it was the two Egyptian World No.1s who took home the inaugural titles.

World No.1 El Welily claimed her second successive PSA title, following her win last month at the Black Ball Squash Open, after producing an incredible comeback from 2-0 down to win 10-12, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8 against reigning World Champion El Sherbini.

El Welily, who had gone to five games in all of her matches in Eindhoven, held numerous game balls in the first, but El Sherbini battled back to rattle off the points in quick succession, eventually taking the opener on a tie-break.

The three-time World Champion then doubled her lead in the second, with both players showing some unbelievable skill on court much to the delight of the packed-out crowd. However, El Welily showed her incredible mental strength to battle back in style and claim her 21st PSA title.

“The five-setters really paid off eventually,” said 30-year-old El Welily. “To come back from 2-0 down against Nour is almost impossible, mentally at least, so I’m really happy with the way I managed to push myself mentally and physically and show some character towards the end.

“After I lost the first when I was 10-5 up, I thought I blew it up, but I just told myself it’s not the end of the world just keep pushing. You need to come off court doing your best, if you mess things up sometimes you fight hard to make things right again.”

Meanwhile, World No.1 and World Champion Farag dominated against rival ElShorbagy to claim the men’s title.

It was the first meeting between the two players since January’s J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions final when Farag won to take the World No.1 spot from ElShorbagy and Farag ensured he continued his dominance with a 3-1 win.

The first game looked as though it was going to set the tempo for the rest of the match, with both players showcasing their ability to send it all the way to a tense tie-break, which ElShorbagy claimed. However, Farag came out firing in the second and never looked back as he controlled the rest of the match against a below-par ElShorbagy to take an 11-13, 11-6, 11-4, 11-4 victory.

“The first game was really tough and it was a tough one to lose,” said the 26-year-old Farag afterwards.

“I’m glad I regrouped myself and Nour [El Tayeb] gave me a very good tip after the first. It’s always a pleasure to share the court with someone who is one of the greats of our sport and I’m looking forward to many more battles in the future.

“He was No.1 when I was starting so Mohamed is always going to be favourite. I don’t put much pressure on myself but obviously I’m very happy with the way I handled things. I think I played good squash and I’m looking forward to taking that on next week in El Gouna.”

The next PSA World Tour tournament will be the El Gouna International which takes place in Egypt between April 17-26.

Results: DPD Open Squash Men’s Final
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bt [2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) 3-1: 11-13, 11-6, 11-4, 11-4 (46m)

Results: DPD Open Squash Women’s Final
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bt [2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 3-2: 10-12, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8 (65m)

UPDATE ON DPD OPEN FINALS

The DPD Open Squash reaches its conclusion today as an all-Egyptian affair takes place in both the men’s and women’s finals at the PSA World Tour Gold tournament.

The action begins at 15:00 local time (UTC+2) with a top of the rankings battle between World No.1 Raneem El Welily and World Champion Nour El Sherbini.

The two players have faced each other 21 times in total, with the last 11 meetings all coming in finals.

El Welily narrowly leads the head-to-head 11-10 after she claimed the last meeting in the final of last month’s DPD Open Squash. However, three-time World Champion El Sherbini will be looking to level the scores again as she looks to reduce the gap at the top of the World Rankings.

They are followed on court by Egypt's World No.1 Ali Farag and World No.2 Mohamed ElShorbagy at 16:00 local time.

The two Egyptians have become familiar rivals on the PSA Tour and it will be the first meeting between the pair since Farag took the World No.1 spot from ElShorbagy.

28-year-old ElShorbagy leads the head-to-head record with nine wins to Farag’s six, however, Farag did claim the last meeting between in the pair in the final of the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions.

Both matches will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and Facebook (Indian subcontinent only). READ MORE

EQUIPMENT DONATED TO IMPROVE SQUASH

The Board members of the Nigeria Squash Federation-NSF led by it president, Mr Boye Oyerinde on Thursday took delivery of a complete Brand new Squash floor for the center court of the National Stadium donated by Frigate Upstream and Energy services. The squash floor which is in custody of KURAMO who would do the installation of the floor.

                                        Some of the equipment received  by the NSF Board

                                        During an Interview with the NSF President Mr Boye Oyerinde

 Coach Bola Mogaji (Left), Chairman Kuramo Mr Koye Odulate (centre), Mr Yinka Durosinlorun (Right)

                                                         Mr Wilson Egberijpou  NSF Board member

                                                 Mr Yinka Durosilorin NSF Board member

The floor meant for a standard size squash court, which was imported from Germany, was donated by the Chairman Frigate Upstream and Energy services in person of Mr Emeka Njoku. The floor will be installed in the center court of the squash section at the National stadium Lagos.

Mr. Koye Odulate, The Chairman Kuramo, an ardent squash player and Philanthropist who has done similar projects for Ikoyi Club 1938 amongst others will be helping out with the floor installation, .

Some of the board members present were, NSF President Mr Boye Oyerinde, Mr Yinka Durosinlorun and Mr Wilson Egberijpou, also at the presentation is Mr. Bola Mogaji, who works with Kuramo.

NICOL DAVID WILL JOIN THE WSF AMBASSADOR TRIP TO KENYA

Shortly after bringing her illustrious professional squash career to a close, the sport’s ultimate ambassador Nicol David will join fellow players Camille Serme and Borja Golan for the 2019 WSF Ambassador Programme visit to Kenya, where the latest World Squash Federation initiative will be hosted by Kenyan Squash community in the country’s capital Nairobi.

Launched in 2011, the WSF international promotional initiative takes leading squash players, together with an international coach and referee, into younger squash nations to help raise the sport’s profile – through clinics, exhibition matches, refereeing and coaching seminars, and media presentations.

Joining Malaysia’s former world No.1 David, France’s world No.4 Serme and Spaniard Golan, a former world No.5, will be Belgian national coach Ronny Vlassaks and international referee Marko Podgorsek, from Slovenia. The 2019 campaign will take place from 27-30 June.

David is a tireless squash campaigner and ambassador. The 35-year-old record eight-time world champion played significant roles in all of the sport’s Olympic bids since 2005; was the leading light in several Women’s Tour Promotional visits to raise the profile of the sport in all corners of the globe in the 11 years preceding the WSF Programme; and participated in four of the ‘Ambassadors’ initiatives from 2011 to 2015.

The WSF Ambassador Programme first visited the Baltic country of Latvia in 2011, followed by a trip to the African countries of Malawi and Namibia, then Panama and Venezuela in 2013, Papua New Guinea in 2014, before focussing on the Balkan region in 2015 with appearances in Serbia, Romania and Croatia.


Camille Serme at Grand Sport in Yerevan, Armenia last year

In 2016, the team visited Dalian and Macau in China. After the 2017 edition was postponed, the WSF team headed to Armenia and Ukraine in 2018.

“We are all excited as this is truly the biggest event yet for our sport,” said national representative Gakuo Ndirangu.

“The timing is perfect: Squash is now really on the up and with all the squash clubs taking up a greater initiative in the promotion of the game at all levels and having great players, coach and referee here in June will stimulate this even more. Events will be hosted by Parklands Sports Club and the Nairobi Club, with all others joining in too.”

WSF CEO Andrew Shelley added: “As always, we are immensely grateful to Camille and Borja for taking time away from the busy international tour schedule to lead this vital promotional visit – and are thrilled that Nicol will be able be with us again too and delight Kenyans with both her charm and her skills.”

“We look forward meeting and interacting with the Kenyan squash community and help the national federation boost the sport’s profile.”

RECORD PRIZE MONEY ON SHOW AT BRITISH OPEN AS WORLD’S BEST SQUASH PLAYERS LINE UP IN HULL

A record prize purse of $348,000 will be on offer at the 2019 Allam British Open when the world’s leading squash players line up at the University of Hull Sports and Fitness Centre between May 20-26, 2019.

Split equally between the men’s and women’s draws, the prize purse is the largest since the tournament began in 1922, and the event will take place in Hull for a seventh successive year.

Known as ‘The Wimbledon of Squash’, the British Open is the sport’s longest-running tournament and this year will be headed up by World No.1s Ali Farag and Raneem El Welily as they aim to add their names to the famous trophy.

Defending champion Miguel Rodriguez – who last year became the first South American ever to win the prestigious tournament – will return alongside runner-up and two-time winner Mohamed ElShorbagy.

Rodriguez and ElShorbagy are the only players in the men’s draw to have ever won the tournament, and will face stiff competition from the likes of World Championship runner-up Tarek Momen, Germany’s Simon Rösner, New Zealand’s Paul Coll, former World No.1 Karim Abdel Gawad and World No.8 Mohamed Abouelghar.

El Welily fell in last year’s final to World No.2 El Sherbini and the two are seeded to meet in the final once again. World Championship runner-up Nour El Tayeb, 2015 champion Camille Serme, New Zealand’s Joelle King, England No.1 Sarah-Jane Perry, Egypt’s Nouran Gohar and 2017 winner Laura Massaro make up the rest of the top eight seeds.
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OMOTADE Isaac Time out with NSF Board members

Just so you know, I was privileged to be at KURAMO house where the NSF board members led by it  president Mr Boye Oyerinde, received Squash court floors donated by Frigate Upstream and Energy Services.

 Had an awesome time with the best sport president; a father, uncle, brother, friend and awesome leader-Mr Boye Oyerinde.

          Uncle Yinka Durosinlorun, so friendly and welcoming, God bless you sir for the love you share.

Coach of all coaches, best man in the game; Coach Bola Mogaji. Remembered back in Ife, sometimes in 2010 he thought me to be calm, never to rush my game, although that worked well the period he was there with me to guide me. After he left, I found myself back to my usual game. Not sure that helped on the long run, really wished he stayed, would have continued playing pro till date. Keep growing in wisdom sir.

For everyone out there who only read squash news from my blog but still don't know what it entails; The Squash community especially in Nigeria are wonderful family, feel free to be a part of this great Sport, I can assure you it will be one of the best decision you ever made.

Thank you so much Mr president, NSF Board and the entire Squash community in Nigeria, you've all been supportive not just towards the game but also to individuals willing to be a part of the development we crave for the sport.

Myself for example, has gained a lot from this massive support and encouragement. Thanks once again Mr President, may you continue to increase in wisdom, sound health and wealth.

BREAKING: Shelley to leave role as World Squash chief executive following failed Olympic bid

Andrew Shelley will step down as chief executive of the World Squash Federation (WSF) in June, after the sport failed to gain Olympic inclusion at Paris 2024.

Shelley was appointed in 2010 and has since overseen two failed attempts to gain Olympic inclusion, first for Tokyo 2020 and then in the French capital.
“The Olympic bid is over – sadly, far earlier than we had hoped – and the challenges facing us need strong impetus as we consider our future relationships and strategy,” he said in an open letter addressed to the WSF Executive Board.

“With this in mind I have decided it is the right time for both the WSF and myself, for me to step down as CEO.

“I saw the Olympic bid through as promised but if I stay a little longer, I will only be hanging around and hanging on.

“Instead, I should be letting a fresh CEO make a start.

“It is definitely in our best interests not to delay.”

The WSF also attempted, unsuccessfully, to gain Olympic inclusion at both London 2012 and Rio 2016, meaning the sport has failed to gain a place on the programme four times in a row.

Squash Goes Gold attempted to gain Olympic inclusion for Paris 2024 ©Squash Goes Gold
Squash Goes Gold attempted to gain Olympic inclusion for Paris 2024 ©Squash Goes Gold
Their latest campaign, named “Squash Goes Gold”, boasted that the sport would be able to showcase the “beauty, youth and innovative drive of Paris” in a way no other sport could, due to squash’s ability to set up an all-glass court anywhere.

Recent tournaments have been placed in locations including Grand Central Terminal in New York and in front of the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

However, little more than a week after the WSF formally launched its bid, the Paris 2024 Organising Committee put forward breakdancing, sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing for inclusion at the Games in five years.

Pending final approval by the International Olympic Committee, breakdancing will make its debut as an Olympic sport in Paris, while sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing are all set to feature at Tokyo 2020.

When the news broke, the squash community reacted with anger.

Ali Farag

✔@AliFarag

Go breakdance while we play a One Million Dollar Tournament of the best sport in the world!#Squash #WeAreTheBest

PSA World Tour

✔@PSAWorldTour

Joint statement from the PSA and @WorldSquash regarding the selection of additional sports for the @Paris2024 @Olympics#Paris2024

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"Skateboarding didn't even have a national governing body when it was chosen as an Olympic sport," England’s Nick Matthew told The Daily Telegraph.

"It shows a massive disconnect from the IOC on the actual infrastructure of the sport.

"It has to be made accountable.

"It seems like there is this criteria, it has to be the pinnacle, governed in the right manner, gender equality and good anti-doping, truly global.

"All these things squash has, and we have improved."

Meanwhile, Egypt’s Ali Farag, who won the men’s world title and become world number one shortly after squash was rejected, took to Twitter at the time to vent his frustrations.

“Go breakdance while we play a one million dollar tournament of the best sport in the world,” he said.

Continuing in his letter, Shelley added he has been “incredibly fortunate” to work at the WSF.

“My intention is to carry on working if an opportunity arises and ideally in squash,” he said.

“Also to have time to fulfil my vision of a squash archive so that squash’s books, programmes, handbooks, magazines and films are collected together and available in perpetuity.

“While I do not know what shape my future will be, my passion to see WSF succeed is undimmed.

“You can be sure that if possible and needed I will help with the transition for my successor as much as I can.”

Shelley concluded by thanking the Board and WSF President Jacques Fountaine, “for all your friendship and support”.

Yemisi Olatunji Biggest Nigerian Mover In April World Rankings

Nigeria number one female Squash player, Yemisi Olatunji‘s overwhelming rise on the PSA world rankings continues as she moved 19 places to 127 in the world according to the PSA Women’s Rankings for April released on Monday by the world’s squash governing body, the Professional Squash Association (PSA).
Yemisi Olatunji, who started the year at number 195 has enjoyed smooth sailing in the women’s standings in the past three months participating in various tourneys both local and international.

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All her PSA matches this year happened in March. She featured at the Slaight Music Granite Open in Toronto as well as the Queen City Open in Regina – Canada. There, she won two and lost two matches – beating a better-ranked player and a home player.

Another Nigerian player who rose is US-based Adewale Amao. Amao bettered his March rating by six places, currently ranked 235th in the world according to PSA world rankings released in April.

Babatunde Ajagbe who has been representing the country internationally for almost a decade now dropped 25 places to 200. At the start of last month, Ajagbe competed at the Bermuda Open but was defeated in Round 1 by Leandro Romiglio of Argentina.

The rest of the Nigerian flagbearers on the global rankings of the PSA dropped: Abdul Rahaman Yusuf to 315, Adegoke Onaopemipo to 420, Idowu Enimakure to 548 and Busayo Olatunji to 236.