Consider the following scenario: you’re planning a trip away from Cairo’s bustling noise, and you want to travel somewhere tranquil, relaxing, and with beautiful beaches. You, on the other hand, are a major sports lover, especially squash. So the real question is, where in Egypt would you be able to unwind, enjoy the sun and weather while still participating in your favorite sport? The answer is simple: El Gouna is the only location where you can enjoy the beauty of Egypt’s beaches while being present to watch one of the most renowned platinum tournaments on the professional squash tour. El Gouna, one of Orascom Development’s destinations, is located 35 kilometers from Hurghada and has superb services, amenities, natural beaches, and sunshine all year long.
El Gouna usually hosts many of Egypt’s top events and the most upcoming one is El Gouna Squash Open, a platinum tournament in which the best Squash players from around the world compete. First, bear in mind that squash is a sport that is very dear to Egyptians and as the country has produced outstanding players who have been dominating the game year after year, El Gouna Squash Open has become a source of great pride for millions of Egyptians. No other country on the professional tour hosts such events in lovely locations the way Egypt does. This, if anything, shows the rest of the world what Egypt is all about, a haven for squash, a hub for different cultures, and a place of beauty and mesmerizing sceneries.
It is safe to say that Egypt is without a doubt the squash kingpin, with the most players in the top ten in both the women’s and men’s rankings. For example, there are seven Egyptian players in the men’s ranking, and five Egyptian women in the women’s ranking! Therefore, Since 2010, Egyptians have dominated this competition, with Karim Darwish (formerly ranked first worldwide) and Nour El Sherbini (currently ranked second worldwide) winning the first edition of the tournament. Other notable figures include famous squash player Ramy Ashour, who is considered one of the best players of all time and is the first Egyptian to win the El Gouna Squash Open three times.
The El Gouna Squash Open was formed in 2010 with a variety of goals in mind. For example, it has aided Egypt in overcoming some of the touristic obstacles it has faced during times of political unrest. With that said, one man was able to make this a reality as well as to maintain the consistency of the event that is now in its tenth edition, with the next edition set to take place from May 27 to June 3, 2022, where the latter stages of the tournament will be played at the El Gouna Conference and Culture Center (GCCC.) The GCCC has been the tournament’s new venue starting 2021; before that, the glass court was placed at the Abu Tag Marina.
Amr Mansi is the man we’ve been talking about, an Egyptian former professional squash player who approached the competition from two perspectives. The first was to provide a tournament for local players looking to improve their international professional rankings; as Egypt is the host country, the tournament’s promoter, Amr Mansi, can choose two “Wild Cards” to encourage many young players to improve their skill levels and develop their game in order to compete in such a prestigious platinum event. The second was to promote tourism and revive Egypt’s reputation as a premier tourist destination, not just in the region, but around the world.
His idea took him to El Gouna on the Red Sea, where he was attempting to combine the natural beauty of the area with the splendor of squash, which Egypt had dominated for over a decade.
Mansi’s ultimate goal was to build something that would inspire the squash community to get more involved in the sport. Additionally, Mansi also wanted tour players to look forward to and train hard for this tournament. Consequently, Mansi claimed in the tournament’s official press conference that El Gouna Squash Open has helped shape the Egyptian squash dynasty by being consistent over the past years and bringing world-class athletes to compete in front of future generations and committed fans.
Therefore, both the men’s and women’s draws this year will include some exciting matchups that will keep you on the edge of your seat. For example, current world number one Paul Coll of New Zealand will face Egypt’s Mazen Hesham, who is now ranked eighth in the world. This will be a battle of outstanding skill vs a solid fundamental game that will be difficult to break down.
The women’s draw will also include some entertaining matchups that will put some of the top seeds to the test against promising young talents from around the world. Egypt’s Salma Hany (world no. 7) will face the winner of the match between Egypt’s Yathreb Adel (world no. 38) and Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam (world no. 20.) This will undoubtedly be an interesting match-up as the three competitors attempt to break through and climb to the top of the world rankings.
There will definitely be some thrilling matches in this tournament, with players from all over the world hoping to pull off major upsets and take the El Gouna Squash Open title from the top seeds. Thereby, we can expect to see incredible efforts from all of the players as they push themselves both physically and mentally to reach greatness, and where better to do it than at El Gouna.
This tournament is presented by ievents in partnership with Orascom Development and powered by CIB. It is held under the auspices of the Ministries of Tourism and Antiquities and of Youth and Sports, as well as the Egypt Tourism Authority. The Platinum Sponsors are Carrier and Ancient Hill while the Silver Sponsor is Moods. On Time Sports is the Official TV Partner and the Catering Partner is 360 Events and Catering. This event is in association with the Professional Squash Association and Dunlop.
El Gouna will continue to surprise you because it is a melting pot of Egyptian cultures as well as a vacation destination and a squash hub. With that being said, our own Egyptian pop culture is gaining a lot of traction as more and more people become interested in it. It is safe to say then that El Gouna is the birthplace of Egyptian pop culture which in turn has a major influence on the El Gouna Squash Open, which nurtures an important aspect of entertainment for this tournament. The real question is, “How?” El Gouna holds the El Gouna Squash Open and the El Gouna Film Festival among many other events, making it a cultural destination that could not be overlooked. El Gouna International Squash Open is more than simply a sporting event; it’s also a place for all the major names, from corporations to media outlets and celebrities.
We can argue that this tournament has assisted Egypt’s development in terms of sports tourism, which is just as important as any of the other aspects discussed. Sports tourism refers to travel that involves either watching or participating in a sporting event while remaining outside of the tourists’ normal surroundings.
P.S: Collard will be selling tickets, and we can’t think of a better way to get your tickets than to get them ASAP!