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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 April 1999 Issue No. 425 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 April 1999 Issue No. 425
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Features Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Snorkel and squash
By Eman Abdel-MoetiThe world's eight best female squash players will be competing from 15-19 April in the glass court of a five-star hotel on its own small island in the Red Sea. The second Women's International Squash Professionals Association (WISPA) Grand Prix Finals, which are being played in the same setting this year, are expected to draw about 500 spectators.
Last year's event made a great impression and there was strong competition among the star players to qualify this time round and return to the unique setting.
WISPA President Sarah Fitzgerald said that last year's Hurghada finals were a "stunning climax to our Grand Prix".
The WISPA Grand Prix consists of 11 top events over the year. In 1998, it spanned no less than four continents; North America, Europe, Africa and Asia, where players rallied to fill the top eight places in the world standings.
Fitzgerald and her arch rival and fellow countrywoman, Michelle Martin, as well as many other star players, were determined to come back to Hurghada this year. As Fitzgerald put it, "we are returning to try to win the title, enjoy the unmatched Egyptian hospitality, perhaps even to sample the breathtaking snorkelling on the coral reefs that many of us tried last year."
Michelle Martin photo: Khaled El-Fiqi
This year's eight competitors are seeded for the tournament as follows: number one Martin, two Fitzgerald, followed by Cassie Jackman from England, Jackman's fellow countrywoman Suzanne Horner, New Zealand's Leilani Joyce, South Africa's Natalie Grainger, Australia's Carol Owens and at number eight, Germany's Sabine Schoenne.
Martin, a three-time World Open champion, has become Fitzgerald's bitter-sweet friend since Gerald beat her in two finals in 1995 -- the JSM Supersquash in Japan and the Jain International in Korea. Ever since, both players have posed the biggest threat to each other, as they compete in many finals and are very likely to meet in Hurghada this year.
In 1998, Fitzgerald suffered several defeats that sent her down to number two in the world rankings. However, at the World Open, when she suddenly found herself in danger of losing her crown to the more-experienced Martin, she found both the mental and physical strength to save eight match balls in the fifth set and retain her world title to finish her tour year on a high.
Egypt now has three official events a year; the Heliopolis Open, the Al-Ahram International, and the Hurghada Grand Prix Finals. Unfortunately, there could have been more events organised by Egypt, like the International Juniors Championship which was due last year, but cancelled at the last minute. Also, the abolishment of the Squash Federation a few months ago put a sudden stop to the potentiality of organising additional prestigious squash competitions.
The current temporary federation, headed by Ibrahim Kamel, has not made any effort to organise further events to promote the game in Egypt, either for men or women.
In his own attempt to promote squash in Egypt, Hossam Nasser, former president of the federation, was hoping to organise a junior international tournament. Things were going fine and eight countries had agreed to participate, until the federation was abolished. The new federation cancelled the tournament. Nasser filed a law suit several months ago against the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports to reclaim his place as president of the federation. .
