Sports Bulletin

Framboise Gommendy It’s less than one week before the women’s Australian team takes to the court at the Madinaty Sport Club, Cairo, Egypt, for the 2022 WSF Women’s World Team Squash Championships. Between 10 to 18 December 2022, the Australian quartet of Donna Lobban, Jess Turnbull, Sarah Cardwell and Alex Haydon will compete alongside 16 other teams in the premier international squash tournament in the women’s game. The biennial event has not been held since 2018 due to COVID-19 and returns with the traditional format of four-player squads from each country battling it out in best-of-three-match clashes. The Australian team placed ninth in 2018, when the Championships were held in Dalian, China. National champion Jess Turnbull is the only new face in the Australian team for 2022 as Lobban, Cardwell and Haydon were on the squad that competed in China. Australia's Jessica Turnbull Despite having already donned the green and gold at two World Doubles Championships, a Commonwealth Games and the recent Nations Cup, Turnbull is making her Women’s World Team Championships debut, continuing on a journey that is seeing her emerge as the leader of the next group of Australian women. “I think this season has prepared me quite well,” Turnbull said. “I have had a few of what I consider to be breakthrough wins recently, so it has boosted my confidence for sure. Having that experience behind me, now for big events, I won't be so shellshocked walking on,” Turnbull said. “I'm honoured to get the opportunity to wear the green and gold again. Nothing better than representing Australia.” Donna Lobban in action at the Commonwealth Games While Turnbull is making her debut at the event,Sarah Cardwell is competing for the fourth time and Donna Lobban is taking to the court at the Women’s World Team Championships for the sixth time. It will be a full circle moment for Lobban, who played in the World Junior event in Cairo, 2003 and also made her senior women’s team debut in Egypt, in 2008. “It’s crazy to think, I remember my first time playing for the Australian senior team in 2008 and it was such an exciting thing to be a part of and something I had been dreaming about,” Lobban said. “Playing for Australia means the world to me and is always a huge honour and probably the most exciting thing about what I get to do playing squash.” “My preparation has been so far so good. I have probably taken a step back from playing as many PSA tournaments as I usually would, however I’ve still had a lot of competitive opportunities, like the Australian Open, French league matches and PSL matches in the UK. “I’m feeling good, my body is feeling good and probably because I haven't been killing myself as usually on the tour. So I’m feeling fit and ready for it.” Australia coach Stewart Boswell believes competing in the environment of a Women's World Team Championship can help the development of young players such as Alex Haydon. Coach Stewart Boswell added that the Australian team is looking forward to competing at the event again, with the three-match format being quite different from that of PSA tournaments. “There’s always an added element of excitement and unpredictability that comes with playing in a team event,” Boswell said. “The main focus for the team will be on each player individually performing at their best, whoever they’re playing. Hopefully in doing so we can pick up some wins, make it difficult for some of the top teams and finish higher than our seeding for the event.” Completing the lineup is Alex Haydon who, at just 21 years old, is the youngest member of the team. Boswell said it’s fantastic that young athletes have the opportunity to compete for the country on the international stage and get to test themselves against the world's best. Despite her young age, Haydon is already competing in her second Women’s World Team Championships. “Being in this type of environment and experiencing the pressure and the buzz of playing for their teammates and Australia can only help them improve as players. Hopefully it also gives them further motivation to strive for future success at the very top level,” Boswell said. (Thanks to Framboise Gommendy)

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD: The rising squash player, Huzaifa Ibrahim has said that he would produce sparkling performance in the upcoming US Open Squash Championship 2022, which will be held from December 17 to 20, 2022 at Arlen Specter Center in Pennsylvania, United States of America (USA). While talking to this reporter over his mobile from the USA, he further said that he had won the recently concluded Under-19 Singles fixture of the Frank-Millet Junior Squash Championships 2022 in Allston Massachusetts, USA. “I am toiling hard on the court to do well in the next tournament, as my mentor Mohammad Mohsin Khan is also working with me and ready to show impressive performance in the US Open Juniors’ Squash Championship, “he added. “Mohsin Khan trained me from the beginning when I was just 8. He told me how to grip a squash racket. I hope under his control I will learn more squash and enhance my game skills to reach on top in the international squash circuit. Mohsin Khan also coached top national lads including Faraz Khan from USA. My coach and I are focusing on the US Juniors’ Open 2022, as we worked hard during the training sessions, “he replied. “Playing away from home is always a challenge and especially playing against an opponent in his own town, however, we hope for positive results. I want to move ahead internationally and raise the national green flag in the international squash courts. I am determined to make a big mark in the squash circuit, “he concluded.

Sports Bulletin Report CAIRO: The squad list for the 2022 WSF Women’s World Team Squash Championship has been announced, with teams from all over the globe selecting some of the world’s best players to battle it out in Madinaty Sport Club, Cairo, Egypt. The championship, which will be played from December 10 to 16, 2022 and is set to feature 17 teams, is a biennial international tournament which sees four-player squads from each country compete in best-of-three-match clashes. For hosts and defending champions Egypt, World No.1 Nouran Gohar leads a devastatingly strong team that boasts four of the world’s top six players. The 25-year-old, who won the 2016 and 2018 World Team Championships, is joined by three-time champion and World No.2 Nour El Sherbini, World No.3 and Women’s World Team Championship debutant Hania El Hammamy, and two-time champion and World No.6 Nour El Tayeb. The USA, who will be hoping to improve on fifth-place finishes in 2018, 2016, and 2014, will travel with what is arguably the strongest ever US Team assembled, with World No.4 Amanda Sobhy, World No.11 Olivia Fiechter, World No.18 – and younger sister to Amanda – Sabrina Sobhy, and World No.20 Olivia Clyne selected. England, seven-time winners and runners up in the last edition, will go in with confidence after winning the most recent European Team Championships. World No.8 Sarah-Jane Perry leads the team, with World No.9 and 2022 Commonwealth Games singles gold medallist Georgina Kennedy, World No.27 Jasmine Hutton and World No.30 Lucy Turmel completing the lineup. Squad of participating countries: Australia: (Donna Lobban, Jessica Turnbull, Alexandra Haydon, Sarah Cardwell) Canada: (Hollie Naughton, Danielle Letourneau, Nicole Bunyan, Nikole Todd) Chinese Taipei: (Yi-Hsuan Lee, Yuan Wang, Wei-Ting Huang, Yi-Chun Wu) Egypt: (Nouran Gohar, Nour El Sherbini, Hania El Hammamy, Nour El Tayeb) England: (Sarah-Jane Perry, Georgina Kennedy, Jasmine Hutton, Lucy Turmel) Finland: (Emilia Soini, Emilia Korhonen, Riina Koskinen, Maarit Ekholm-Mangaonkar) France: (Mélissa Alves, Camille Serme, Coline Aumard, Énora Villard) Germany: (Saskia Beinhard, Sharon Sinclair, Katerina Tycova, Maya Weishar) Hong Kong, China: (Tze Lok Ho, Sin Yuk Chan, Ka Yi Lee, Tsz Wing Tong) Japan: (Satomi Watanabe, Akari Midorikawa, Risa Sugimoto, Erisa Sano Herring) Malaysia: (Aifa Azman, Rachel Arnold, Chan Yiwen, Yee Xin Ying) Scotland: (Lisa Aitken, Georgia Adderley, Alison Thomson, Katriona Allen) South Africa: (Alexandra Fuller, Lizelle Muller, Cheyna Wood, Hayley Ward) Switzerland: (Cindy Merlo, Nadia Pfister, Celine Walser, Ambre Allinckx) Ukraine: (Anastasiia Kostiukova, Milena Velychko, Anastasiia Krykun, Daria Vlasenko) USA: (Amanda Sobhy, Olivia Fiechter, Sabrina Sobhy, Olivia Clyne) Wales (Tesni Evans, Emily Whitlock, Lowri Roberts, Stacey Gooding)

Sports Bulletin Report Cairo (Egypt): As many as 18 countries will take part in the World Squash Federation (WSF) Women’s World Team Squash Championship, which will be held from December 10 to 16 this year 2022 at Cairo’s Madinaty Sports Club Egypt. It is important to mention here that this premier international squash tournament in the women’s game was postponed in 2018 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The Women’s World Team Squash Championships is a biennial international tournament which sees four-player squads from each country face it out in best-of-three-match clashes. Besides hosts and defending champions Egypt, Australia, Canada, Chinese Taipei, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Malaysia, Scotland, South Africa, Switzerland, Ukraine, United States of America (USA), Wales will fight for top honour in the 7-day international squash showpiece. Hosts and defending champions Egypt will go in as strong favourites. Three of the four players who won the Dalian 2018 tournament still play at the highest level, with Nouran Gohar ranked World No.1, Nour El Sherbini ranked World No.2 and Nour El Tayeb ranked World No.6. 22-year-old Hania El Hammamy is expected to add to the reigning champions’ already considerable firepower, with the World No.3 beginning the 2022/23 PSA World Tour season with a win at the Platinum-level CIB Egyptian Open. Joining Egypt as a fancied team will be England, beaten finalists in 2018 and winners of this year’s European Team Championship. Since the 2-0 defeat to Egypt in China, England have added a number of young and dangerous players to the squad, including Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Gold medallist Georgina Kennedy, who took the squash world by storm last year as she rose from World No.185 in May 2021 to World No.8 in July 2022. Also, tipped as a team to watch is the USA. Team USA’s best-ever finish was fifth in 2018, 2016, and 2014, but this year will have a number of the game’s top players to choose from, including World No.4 Amanda Sobhy, World No.11 Olivia Fiechter, World No.18 – and younger sister of Amanda – Sabrina Sobhy, and World No.20 Olivia Clyne. In an exciting addition, Chinese Taipei and Ukraine will make their World Team Championship debut, while former World No.2 Camille Serme – who retired from the PSA World Tour in June 2022 – is set to make a competitive return to the sport for the France team..  

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD: Pakistan embarrassed back-to-back two defeats in the ongoing 21st Asian Squash Team Championship for Men & Women at Cheongju International Squash Stadium, Korea, as India and Kuwait outclassed Pakistan in straight games 3-0. No one Pakistan lad even could win a single game in six matches. Pakistan team lost to India by 0-3 in the morning session. Abhay Singh beat Farhan Mehboob 11-5, 11-8, 11-8, Ramit Tandon beat Mohammad Hamza Khan 11-5, 11-6, 11-6 and Saurav Ghosal beat Noor Zaman 11-5, 11-6, 11-3. In their 4th match, Pakistan lost to Kuwait by 0-3. Ali Alramezi beat Mohammad Hamza Khan 11-5, 11-9, 12-10, Abdullah Almezayen beat Ahsan Ayaz 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 and Ammar Altamimi beat Noor Zaman 11-3, 11-2, 11-0.

Sports Bulletin Report Islamabad: Pakistan men have won two matches against Chinese Taipei and Korea respectively in the 21st Asian Squash Team Championship for Men and Women at Cheongju International Squash Stadium, Korea. According to an official of Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF), in the first Pool match Pakistan outclassed Chinese Taipei 3-0 in the morning session. Noor Zaman beat Cheng-Yao Huang 11-8, 8-11, 13-15, 11-7, 11-7, Farhan Mehboob beat Chih-Yu Wee 11-2, 11-8, 11-6 and Mohammad Hamza Khan beat Wun-Lin Chen 11-4, 11-6, 11-6. Later on in the 2nd match, Pakistan thrashed hosts Korea in similar style 3-0.  Noor Zaman beat Minwoo Lee with the score-line of 2-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8, Farhan Mehboob overcame Jooyoung Na 3-11, 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9 and Mohammad Hamza Khan defeated Se-Hyun Lee at 11-3, 11-6, 15-13. Pakistan squash team is participating in the men’s event only. A total of 12 men’s teams have been divided into two Pools. India, Qatar, Pakistan, Kuwait, Korea and Chinese Taipei are placed in Pool-A while Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, Iran, Philippines and Singapore are in Pool-B.

AA Report ISLAMABAD: A 7-member Pakistani contingent comprising four players and three officials will leave for Korea on Friday (today) to participate in the 21st Asian Men’s Squash Team Championship, which will be held from October 31 to November 4, 2022 at Cheongju International Squash Stadium, Korea. According to a spokesman for Pakistan Squash Federation (SF), four players Hamza Khan, Noor Zaman Khan, Ahsan Ayaz and Farhan Mehboob Khan will visit Korea for regional squash event and three officials Ali Saud Hassan (Manager), Zulfiqar Ali Khan (Coach) and Mohammad Boota (Physical Trainer) will travel aling with players. A total of 12 men’s teams will fight for top honour, as they divided into two groups. India, Qatar, Pakistan, Kuwait, Korea and Taipei are placed in Pool-A while Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, Iran, Philippines and Singapore are bracketed in Pool-B. Pakistan team will play against Taipei on 31 Oct (morning) and in the 2nd match Pakistan will play against Korea in the evening session on the same day.  

faisal  ISLAMABAD: A 4-man Pakistan Squash team along with two officials will visit Korea to participate in the 21st Asian Men’s Team Event Championship, which will be held from October 31 to November 4, 2022, in Cheongju, Korea. Pakistan team will consist of Farhan Mehboob, Nasir Iqbal, Noor Zaman Khan and Hamza Khan while Zulfiqar Khan and Ali Saud will accompany the players as a coach and manager respectively. The contingent will leave for Korea on October 27, 2022. It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan have won this title 15 times in the past, as they earned this honour last time in 2016. Malaysia will defend their title this year 2022. Pakistan got the second position thrice while 3rd once in the history of Asian Squash.

Mostafafa El Sirty wins Men’s title while Fayrouz Abielkheir lifts Women’s title faisal ISLAMABAD: Top seed Egyptian players Mostafafa El Sirty won the Men’s title while Fayrouz Abielkheir also from Egypt claimed Women’s title of the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) International Squash Championship 2022 after beating their compatriot opponent in finals at Mushaf Squash Complex Islamabad on Sunday. In the men’s final, top seed and World No 27 Moustafa El Sirty from Egypt got rid of his challenger World No 28 Mohamed ElSherbini also from Egypt also from Egypt 3-1. The final score-line was 4-11, 11-5, 11-8 and 11-7, as the championship match lasted 49 minutes. The winner pocketed US$4693 while runner-up got US$2964 along with shining trophies. International referee Asif Khan supervised the final. Earlier, in the women’s final that was played between a duo of Egyptian girls, world No 72 Fayrouz Aboelkheir overcame world No 82 Malak Khafagy 3-2 in a thrilling final. At one stage in the 5th game, Malak was ahead with 10-8 and had two match points but she could not maintain the pace and lost the final game at 10-12. The final score-line was 6-11, 12-10, 4-11, 11-6 and 12-10 after 37 minutes of game. Fayrouz received US$1805 with the trophy while Malak got US$1140 along with the trophy. Sajjad Khan conducted the women's final as official referee. Air Marshal Mohammad Zahid Mahmood, Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force graced the closing ceremony as chief guest and awarded trophies and prize money to the finalists.

AA Report ISLAMABAD: Duo Egyptian lads, top seed Mustafa El Sirty and Mohamed ElSherbini moved into the men’s final of the ongoing Chief of Air Staff (CAS) International Squash championship 2022 after beating their opponents in the semifinals here at Mushaf Squash Complex on Saturday. Final will be played on Sunday at the same venue. Results (Men’s Event): In the 1st Semi Final, World No 27 Mustafa El Sirty (EGY) bt World No 65 Balazs Farkas (HUN) 11-5, 9-11, 3-11, 11-6, 11-6.  The match lasted for 61 Min.  In the 2nd Semi Final World No 28 Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) bt World No 45 Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) 8-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-6. The match lasted for 44 Min. Results (Women’s Event): In the 1st Semi Final World No 82 Malik Khafagy (EGY) bt World No 157 Nour Heikal (EGY) 6-11, 11-8, 12-10, 7-11, 11-7.  The match lasted for 49 Min whereas, in the 2nd Semi Final World No 73 Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) bt World No 70 Marta Dominguez Fernandez (ESP) 11-6, 11-7, 11-8. The match lasted for 18 Min.