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See - Sada Elbalad
28-05-2025
- Sport
- See - Sada Elbalad
World's No. 2 Ali Farag Retires from Pro Squash
Rana Atef Egypt's four-time World Squash Team Champion and former World No.1 Ali Farag announced his retirement from professional squash. Farag, ranked at No.2 in the PSA World Rankings upon his retirement won World Squash Team Championships on four occasions as well as four PSA World Championship titles. Farewell beautiful game… — Ali Farag (@AliFarag) May 28, 2025 His retirement comes five months after helping Egypt clinch a sixth World Squash Team Championship title after a dramatic battle with Mohamed ElShorbagy at Hong Kong Football Club, and two weeks after winning a silver medal at the PSA World Championships in Chicago. Farag spent 238 weeks at World No.1 between March 2019 – March 2025 and won 46 PSA Squash Tour titles throughout his career, which puts him sixth on the all-time men's winners list. Since making his PSA debut in 2005, Farag played in 81 PSA finals, with a 57 % win rate, while he won 445 of his 553 matches on the PSA Squash Tour. He is the fifth longest-serving men's World No.1 after Jahangir Khan, Jansher Khan, Peter Nicol and Geoff Hunt. Farag was a vital part of the Egypt squad that captured a historic double at the 2024 World Squash Team Championships 'I always knew this day would come and I knew it would be very emotional. And it is, but in a good way,' Farag said. 'It's been a long time coming. Ever since Covid, really. When I'd achieved all my goals, I always thought 'What's next for me?' 'Squash been my passion, my identity and my purpose for as long as I can remember, but there was always another part of me, a family man. Now, I'm a husband and a father to two beautiful young girls, one about to turn four and the other born three months ago. I've missed so many of the milestones that I wanted to be there for: the school pickups, the late-night cuddles, the bedtime stories. All of those things that pass too quickly when you're always chasing the next flight, the next match, the next tournament. 'I've always believed in balance, and I feel like the balance has shifted now. This is what I want the next chapter to be. 'I'm walking away at the perfect time. Squash is in a place it has never been and the level is higher than ever in the men's and women's game. Even if I'm not playing, you can count on me always being there as a fan, a supporter and someone who will always love this game.' World Squash President Zena Wooldridge paid tribute to Farag, saying: 'Ali exits the game having earned the respect and admiration of the global squash community and beyond. 'Besides being one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, it is perhaps his grace on and off court that will be most fondly remembered. World Squash, and all who love our sport, owe Ali an enormous debt of gratitude for everything he has done for squash and I wish him the very best of luck in the next chapter of his life.' read more Japan Stun Spain 2-1 to Qualify for World Cup Last 16 World Cup 2022: Get to Know Confirmed Line-ups of Japan and Spain Group E Decider Saudi Arabia Bid Farewell to World Cup after 2-1 Loss to Mexico Tunisia Achieve Historic Win over France but Fail to Qualify Tunisia to Clash against France in World Cup Sports Get to Know Squad of Group D Teams in World Cup Sports Al Ahly Gift EGP 70,000 to Players After Claiming Egyptian Super Cup Title Sports Bencharki Hits First 2 Goals with Al Jazira Since Leaving Zamalek Sports Arsenal Possible Line-up for Nottingham Forest News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies
CairoScene
31-03-2025
- Sport
- CairoScene
Mostafa Asal & Hania El Hammamy Sweep at Optasia Squash Championship
Asal rises to world number one after a decisive victory, while El Hammamy secures her second title of the season. Mar 31, 2025 Egyptian squash players Mostafa Asal and Hania El Hammamy showcased their dominance at the 2025 Optasia Squash Championship held at The Wimbledon Club in London. In the men's final, 22-year-old Mostafa Asal claimed a straight-sets victory (11-5, 11-4, 11-7) over New Zealand's Paul Coll to secure his first Optasia title. With this win, Asal rose to the top of the PSA World Rankings, marking a career milestone and reinforcing his position among the sport's elite. On the women's side, Hania El Hammamy added another trophy to her growing collection by defeating England's Georgina Kennedy 3-1 (11-6, 11-7, 7-11, 11-6). The victory marks El Hammamy's second title of the year and reaffirms her standing as one of the world's top-ranked players. The championship also featured intense semi-final matches. Asal overcame a two-game deficit to defeat Wales' Joel Makin in a grueling five-game encounter, while Coll edged out England's Mohamed ElShorbagy in another five-game thriller. In the women's semi-finals, El Hammamy ended the reign of defending champion Satomi Watanabe, and Kennedy secured her place in the final by defeating Egypt's Nada Abbas. Egypt's Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr. Ashraf Sobhi, congratulated both athletes following their victories, noting that their achievements reflect the strength of Egypt's national squash programme.
