Namibia hosts first major glass-court event with World Junior Championships
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad Correspondent
Teenagers Diego Elias and Nour El Sherbini are aiming for historic successes in next month’s WSF World Junior Squash Championships in Namibia.
The draws for the sport’s first ever world championship to be held in the southern African country were announced today (July 22) by the World Squash Federation.
The Men’s and Women’s World Junior Individual Championships will take place at the Wanderers Sports Club in the capital Windhoek from August 10-15, followed by the Men’s World Junior Team Championship from August 16-21. Centre-stage at the venue will be an all-glass showcourt – seen in the country for the first time.
Elias, a 17-year-old from Lima, is favourite in the men’s event – and seeded to become the first ever world squash champion from Peru.
His strongest opposition is expected to come from defending champion Karim El Hammamy, the 18-year-old from Cairo who is bidding to extend Egypt’s unbroken grip on the trophy since 2004.
Egyptian El Sherbini (right), who became the sport’s youngest ever world champion after first winning the women’s world junior (Under-19) title in 2009 – aged just 13 – is now competing in the event for the final time and going for a record fourth title.
More than 150 players from 30 nations will compete in the championships.
WSF World Junior Individual Championship
Men’s 1st round draw:
[1] Diego Elias (PER) bye
Gerhardus Lottering (NAM) v James Evans (ENG)
Vijay Meena (IND) v Ricardo Toscano (GUA)
Ali Alqallaf (KUW) v Andres Herrera (COL)
Lau Tsz Kwan (HKG) v Cillian Dunne (IRL)
Elliot Msindisi Sibanda (BOT) v Juan Segundo Barreyro (ARG)
Max D Reed (USA) v Justin Wesson (RSA)
[9/16] Mohd Syafiq Kamal (MAS) v Nir Cohen (ISR)
[9/16] Israr Ahmed (PAK) bye
Yannick Omlor (GER) v Enzo Corigliano (FRA)
Miko Aijanen (FIN) v Michael Mehl (CAN)
Aubrey Lawrence (RSA) v Dairo Sandoval (COL)
Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK) v James Peach (ENG)
Chapman Kutia (NZL) v Bernat Jaume (ESP)
Alexander Lundqvist (SWE) v Runyararo Kadyautumbe (ZIM)
[5/8] Mohamed Elgawarhy (EGY) bye
[5/8] George Parker (ENG) bye
Chris Lo (HKG) v Ivan Caucich (ARG)
Khaled Al-Jenaidel (KUW) v Tafadzwa Mushunje (ZIM)
Dylan Marc Spencer (NAM) v Mohammad Alsarraj (JOR)
Saad El Din Ehab (EGY) v Jean-Pierre van de Merwe (RSA)
Aqif Ampandi (MAS) v Qaini Bonilla (GUA)
David Baillargeon (CAN) v Thomas Kingshott (USA)
[9/16] David Ryan (IRL) bye
[9/16] Michael Craig (IRL) bye
Benjamin Aubert (FRA) v Derek Hsue (USA)
Peter Kalu Chidi (NGR) v Scott Galloway (NZL)
Pontus Rengbo (SWE) v Darren Chan (MAS)
Edmon Lopez Moller (ESP) v Le Hugo van Rooyen (NAM)
Roee Avraham (ISR) v Niklas Becher (GER)
Tebogo Thabologo (BOT) v Luke Michael Mannion (ZIM)
[3/4] Kush Kumar (IND) bye
[3/4] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) bye
Jarryd Osborne (CAN) v Sean Redman (GER)
Mason Ripka (USA) v Velavan Senthilkumar (IND)
Patrick Rooney (ENG) v Nikita Gilevskiy (IRL)
Eain Yow Ng (MAS) v Noam Peer (ISR)
Santiago Orozco (COL) v Carel Olivier (NAM)
Mohammad Alterki (KUW) v Marti Munar (ESP)
[9/16] Auguste Dussourd (FRA) bye
[9/16] Omar Elatmas (EGY) bye
Micky Joseph (BOT) v Timothy Robert Brownell (USA)
Santiago Camargo (COL) v Innocent Mukumba (ZIM)
Federico Cioffi (ARG) v George Diederik Bekker (NAM)
Syed Azlan Iqbal (PAK) v Kristian Rautiainen (FIN)
Max Trimble (NZL) v Wayne Sithole (RSA)
Tor Christoffersen (SWE) v Ong Sai Hung (MAS)
[5/8] Lyell Fuller (ENG) bye
[5/8] Daniel Poleshchuk (ISR) bye
Laurence Kuhn (RSA) v Oisin Logan (IRL)
Arjun Deepak Kochar (IND) v David Yacobucci (USA)
Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) v Luke Jones (NZL)
Lucas Wirths (GER) v Yuen Tsun Hei (HKG)
Mohammad Ali (KUW) v Michael Thompson (CAN)
Alejandro Enriquez (GUA) v Jami Aijanen (FIN)
[9/16] Syed Ali Mujtaba Shah Bokhari (PAK) bye
[9/16] Youssef Soliman (EGY) v Carter Robitaille (CAN)
Kyle Christoper Robert Kriel (NAM) v Nicolas Valderrama (COL)
Callum Lawton (ZIM) v Mohd Mukhtar (MAS)
Madhav Dhingra (IND) v Nils Lindgren (SWE)
Theo Pelonomi (BOT) v Youssef Aboul-Makarim (EGY)
Ling To Yu (HKG) v Victor Daniel (NGR)
Bryn Turk (ZIM) v Franco Andres Romiglio (ARG)
[2] Karim El Hammamy (EGY) bye
Women’s WSF World Junior Individual Championship 1st round draw
[1] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bye
Amelia Henley (ENG) v Casey Sheyeong Wong (USA)
Andrea Lee (MAS) bye
[9/16] Kacey-Leigh Dodd (RSA) bye
[9/16] Lily Taylor (ENG) bye
Anandita Gupta (IND) v Nhadia Maria Gustavo (NAM)
Olatunji Yemisi Oluwafunilayo (NGR) v Saskia Beinhard (GER)
[5/8] Marie Stephan (FRA) bye
[5/8] Habiba Mohamed Ahmed Aly Mohmed (EGY) bye
Lida-Marie Calizt (NAM) v Lynette Vai (PNG)
S Sivasangari (MAS) v Titiloayo Akinyele (NGR)
[9/16] Tinne Gilis (BEL) bye
[9/16] Laura Tovar (COL) bye
Kayley Leonard (USA) v Alison Thomson (ENG)
Linnea Gronlund Bengtsson (SWE) v Funke Okikiola Oladunni (NGR)
[3/4] Salma Hany Ibrahim (EGY) bye
[3/4] Mariam Ibrahim Metwally (EGY) bye
Makgosi Peloakgosi (RSA) v Sara Vallejo (COL)
Zoe Foo (MAS) bye
[9/16] Reeham Sedky (USA) bye
[9/16] Georgina Kennedy (ENG) bye
Nadia Pfister (SUI) v Elsje van der Merwe (NAM)
Sunday Veronica (NGR) v Carley Kate Barton (ZIM)
[5/8] Nele Gilis (BEL) bye
[5/8] Sabrina Sobhy (USA) bye
Madlen Shea O’Connor (CAN) v Linnea Wallsten (SWE)
Daniela Scriba (NAM) v Nele Hatschek (GER)
[9/16] Olivia Fiechter (USA) bye
[9/16] Harshit Kaur Jawanda (IND) bye
Jessica Davis (ENG) bye
Alyssa Cummings (NAM) v Oludamnilola Oluwafemi (NGR)
[2] Nouran Ahmed Gohar (EGY) bye