{"id":412570,"date":"2026-06-16T15:29:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T18:29:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/?p=412570"},"modified":"2026-06-16T15:29:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T18:29:21","slug":"egyptian-squash-legends-share-experience-in-brazil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/egyptian-squash-legends-share-experience-in-brazil\/","title":{"rendered":"Egyptian squash legends share experience in Brazil"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 In an intimate setting with around 40 participants, including sponsors, players, and squash enthusiasts, athletes Ali Farag, 34, and Ramy Ashour, 38, spoke about their careers, behind-the-scenes experiences, and the challenges of the sport on the opening day of the 1st<\/sup> Squash Experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event brought together players and squash enthusiasts alongside prominent former Egyptian athletes, helping put Brazil on the global squash map and bringing the sport closer to Brazilian audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Egyptians Farag and Ashour, four-time and three-time individual world squash champions, respectively, were special guests at the event, held on June 15 and 16 and organized by Bio por Cento, a venue located in the western area of S\u00e3o Paulo.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Ramy
Ramy Ashour (R) also shared behind-the-scenes stories from competitions with Brazilian participants<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

On June 15, in addition to speaking with participants, the former players also watched Egypt\u2019s opening match against Belgium at the FIFA World Cup. Although Egypt was not considered the favorite, the Egyptians were pleased and proud to see their national team hold the European side to a draw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have great things to say about Brazil. The country is beautiful, the food is excellent, and the people are amazing\u2014very kind and incredibly welcoming to us. This event has been unique in many ways, but the best part is that I get to share it with my idol,\u201d said Ali Farag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I was the age of the young players here today, I looked up to Ashour and learned from him. Fortunately, I didn\u2019t have many chances to share the court with him, because he would have humiliated me,\u201d he joked. \u201cBut now, seven years after his retirement, I have this opportunity, which is truly unique, and for that I\u2019m grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clearly enthusiastic, Ashour spoke about the importance of taking part in the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFirst of all, I want to say that it is an honor for us to be here. You have done an incredible job creating this wonderful community, and I believe moments like this are among the noblest things one can do for a sport: educating new generations, attracting people, and building communities. I think that is truly remarkable. Thank you for doing this in Brazil\u2014it\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moments like this are among the noblest things one can do for a sport: educating new generations, attracting people, and building communities<\/p>Ramy Ashour<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Having been involved in the sport since childhood, both athletes were influenced by their families. While Ashour looked up to his brother as a role model, Farag was inspired by his father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI started playing when I was six years old. My father used to play recreationally with his friends, and my older brother and I would sneak into his training sessions. That\u2019s how I fell in love with the sport. I competed in local tournaments in Egypt and in international events when I was younger. During college, I played in professional tournaments, but I wasn\u2019t dedicated to the sport full-time. I returned to full-time competition after graduating, at the age of 22,\u201d Farag recalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Squash played a major role in his life, not only as his professional career but also as the path that led the Egyptian athlete to study Mechanical Engineering at Harvard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI retired last year, but my life revolved around squash. Because of the sport, I met my wife, who was also a player, got into college, and met incredible people. Like every athlete, I thought about quitting several times, but fortunately I had good people around me who believed in me, encouraged me, and convinced me to keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also passionate about the sport, Ashour spoke about his own journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI started playing when I was six years old and was already obsessed with the sport. At 10 or 11, I began dreaming of becoming a professional player, and I received complete support from my parents, especially my mother. Honestly, aside from losing matches, my biggest challenges were my injuries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Retired since 2019, Ashour founded his own squash academy, where training sessions are held for squash enthusiasts. With four locations across Egypt, the academy offers professional coaching and an extensive home-training program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Tuesday morning, during the second day of the 1st<\/sup> Squash Experience, the Egyptian guests shared tips and discussed playing techniques with members of Bio por Cento. At the end of the event, the two former athletes are set to face each other on the squash court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sport in Egypt<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Considered a global powerhouse in squash, Egypt has dominated the sport for decades and holds many of the top positions in the world rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn our country, squash is very important, and we\u2019re very successful at it. Obviously, football is number one, but people are starting to follow squash as well,\u201d Farag said.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Egyptians
Egyptians (Farag standing) watched their country\u2019s World Cup match against Belgium alongside Brazilian fans<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

According to Farag, Egypt\u2019s success in producing top-level players year after year comes from early specialization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the United States, for example, children play many different sports and only specialize when they get older. In Egypt, they specialize from a very young age. By the time I was 11, I was already training squash for two to three hours every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Ashour, the ability to solve problems is what helps the Arab country consistently reach the top of the world rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have a great history in the sport, and like Brazilians, we are good at sports. I think that\u2019s because we are very skillful and good at solving problems. On the court, if you are too systematic and keep repeating the same shot over and over, you are not doing anything different. The game has to be very natural, and each shot should be different from the last. There is no consistent pattern, and I think Egyptians are very good at that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Brazil to begin inspiring interest among future generations from an early age, as Egypt has done, Farag offered advised, \u201cIn squash, from the very beginning, the most important thing to teach is not technique. Children need to be taught to love the game. Throughout any athlete\u2019s career, there are moments when we absolutely hate squash. Ashour didn\u2019t enjoy dealing with injuries and defeats. I didn\u2019t enjoy leaving my family behind to compete in tournaments. But what kept us going was our passion for the game.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read also<\/em>:
Arab highlights at the World Cup<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Report by Rebecca Vettore, in collaboration with ANBA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Translated by Guilherme Miranda<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rebecca Vettore\/ANBA<\/div>
Rebecca Vettore\/ANBA<\/div>
Divulga\u00e7\u00e3o<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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