Why Egypt Rules The World Of Squash

"Basically, for someone like me to play at the Olympics, I have to be world No. 1 or 2."

- Rutvick Mehta

MUMBAI:

Karim El Hammamy is world No. 48 in the professional squash rankings. In most countries, that ranking would be enough to push toward the nation-capped slots for squash's debut at the 2028 LA Olympics. Not in Egypt.

"I'd rather be anywhere else," El Hammamy chuckled.

The world's current top two male and three female pros are Egyptians. The country has five men and women each in the top 10 rankings. Egypt have won the previous four World Team Championships across gender.

Before Peruvian Diego Elias halted world No. 1 Ali Farag's hat-trick of individual men's gold at the 2024 Worlds, the last non-Egyptian with that medal stood a decade ago. Every women's world title since Nicol David in 2014 has gone to an Egyptian.

The land of pyramids, home to the elite sport's dynasty for decades, is extending its dominance in the modern era.

What makes this northeast African nation, with a population of just over 11 crore, remain at the front and center of global squash?

There's history to it and a bit of wow factor, but more pertinently, a robust junior base and structure that continues to churn out a fine line of talent.

Introduced to the country by British soldiers more than a century ago in Cairo, squash had rich Egyptian flavor through the mid-nineties — Amr Bey (1930s), Mahmoud Karim (1940s) and AA Abou Taleb (1960s) were all multiple British Open champions.