Egypt Continues Dominating Squash With Three Players in the Final

The Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Squash Championships, scheduled for 10 days from 9 to 18 May, is held this year in Cairo, with a prize pool of  USD 565,000 (EGP 26 million) for both men and women, the biggest prize in squash.

The annual tournament has brought 128 of the world’s best players together to compete for the championship titles in Egypt, a testament to the country’s prominence in squash, and three Egyptians have made it to the Finale.  

In the men’s final, Egyptian champion, Mostafa Asal, ranked third globally in men’s squash, advanced to the final round, securing his spot in the final by defeating the second-ranked New Zealander, Paul Coll, in the semi-final round. 

Asal is facing off against Diego Elias of Peru, who recently defeated Egypt’s Ali Farag, a three-time world champion. This marks the first time a South American player has reached the PSA World Squash Championships final.

On the women’s side, the Egyptian player, Nour El Sherbini, continues her dominant performance, having secured a spot in her 10th PSA World Squash Championship final by defeating USA’s Olivia Weaver, an American squash player, in a close semifinal match. 

El Sherbini, contending for her eighth world title, will face off against Egyptian champion Nouran Gohar, the second-ranked player globally in women’s squash, who secured her spot in the final by defeating Egypt’s Hania El Hammamy.

Still on the top with three contenders playing in the finale, Egypt has a remarkable history in the PSA World Squash Championship, with multiple titles under its belt. Amr Shabana, a four-time winner, Ali Farag, a four-time winner, and Ramy Ashour, a three-time winner, hold 11 championship titles out of 14 that Egypt has in the PSA Men’s World Squash Championship. El Sherbini holds seven championship titles and Raneem El Welily has one.

“Egypt is undoubtedly a powerhouse in the sport, with five players inside the top 10 of both the men’s and women’s PSA World Rankings, while some of the greatest players in the history of the sport have hailed from the nation,” Alex Gough, the CEO of PSA said.

This year marks Egypt’s 10th time to host the PSA World Squash Championship since 1985. Hosting a sporting event of this magnitude can have significant positive effects on both the economy and tourism.

“Both small-scale and major sports events can potentially contribute to regional economic development,” according to a study by the University of Murcia in Spain.

With a strong dominance in the sport, hosting enhances Egypt’s reputation in the global sporting arena​ and highlights the country’s organizational capabilities and infrastructure.

The World Tourism Organisation and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reported that “tourism and sport are interrelated and complementary… both are powerful forces for development, stimulating investment in infrastructure projects… that can be enjoyed by the local population as well as tourists who come to use them.”