After a one-year break, the El-Gouna International Squash Open has returned to the PSA Super Series events, and this year is as strong as ever, Inas Mazhar reports Derailed last year by the Egyptian revolution, the El-Gouna International Squash Open returns this year. The one-week tournament will take place from 5 to 13 April. The preliminary rounds will be held over two days in Alexandria starting 5 April. Altogether 32 players will take part in the preliminary round aiming at qualifying for the main round. Matches will be held at Sporting Club in Alexandria after which the main draw qualifiers will join the remaining competitors in El-Gouna for the start of the final competition and glamour phase at the exquisite Red Sea resort. The 32-player five-day main draw will be at the glass court at Abu Tig Marina in El-Gouna from 8 April and is expected to attract more than 6,000 spectators from around the world. El-Gouna International Squash Open is a PSA Super Series event launched in October 2010. From the outset the tournament was a huge success for both participants and squash lovers who enjoy the sport as well as the entertaining lifestyle that El-Gouna offers to its visitors. The El-Gouna International Squash Open is also one of the most important and demanding tournaments on the PSA World Tour, offering the largest cash prize ($120,000) and attracting the world's best players from 16 countries, all competing with an eye on the championship's title which last timewent to Egypt's Karim Darwish. According to the founder and tournament director Amr Mansi, this year's event will mark the first time in Egypt it is held in the world's most high-tech glass court. "It is a brand new court and is currently being set up in El-Gouna for this tournament. It was imported by the Egyptian Squash Federation and they have been very generous in providing it to us," Mansi said. Mansi, a former professional squash player, said that 16 world-top professional squash players are expected to take part in this year's event. "They have already confirmed their participation in the tournament which will make it one of the top PSA series in the world." "We missed last year's event because it was to be held in April which was only three months after the beginning of the Egyptian uprising and things were still unstable at the time. Now, in 2012, we are determined to set a new benchmark for professional organization of squash events. "Working with El-Gouna management is always a pleasure and their extended support and commitment to high standard events is positively stimulating and inspiring," Mansi added. Mansi said the tournament is so far only for men but there are efforts being made for the future to include women. "It will make it even more exciting," he said. "We are delighted that El-Gouna is hosting this international event for the second time," said Mayar Abdel-Aziz, vice president of destination marketing �ê" Orascom Hotels & Development. "Having all these top ranked players competing in the El-Gouna Squash Open is very special," Abdel-Aziz said. "With such top notch sports events taking place in Egypt, we aim to showcase Egypt's readiness to offer world class organisational standards and a lot of fun." Abdel-Aziz added that in terms of sports event, El-Gouna hosted five football camps in January 2012. Head coach of the Egyptian national team Amir Wagih told a press conference before the tournament that the event would be in favour of Egyptian players. "The players are training really hard for this tournament on a daily basis and sometimes even in the morning and afternoon. We just came from the World Juniors Championship which we won and I'm sure that in this tournament our new promising talented players might spring some surprises," says Wagih. Wagih also believes that though this year's tournament is tougher as it sees the participation of the finest and best players in the world, an Egyptian is still a favourite to win the title again "and hopefully we can witness an All-Egyptian final like last year." The 2010 defending champion Darwish will enter the tournament aiming at retaining his title and increasing his world PSA ranking. The 30-year-old Darwish had claimed last year's title after a 3-0 victory over the then world champion Rami Ashour in an all-Egyptian final that was dubbed by the world's squash as the 'Dream Final'. Recently, Darwish managed to improve his world ranking from fifth to fourth. Now, he'll be leading his fellow players in the list of Egypt's participating squash pros which includes former world champions Rami Ashour, Amr Shabana and Mohamed El-Shorbagi who are now ranked 5th, 6th and 8th respectively. These top Egyptian players will be joined by teammates Omar Mosaad (13), Hisham Ashour (14), Tarek Momen (19), Mohamed Reda (27), Karim Abdel-Gawad (32), Marwan El-Shorbagi (35th) and Mohamed Abbas, 40. With an overall number of 56 of the world's top professional squash players competing in El-Gouna, the event is said to be a new tourism attraction allowing participants, championship followers and tourists to enjoy Egypt's most beautiful resort town and its unrivaled lifestyle while engaging in the championship's activities. El-Gouna, Orascom Developments' flagship project, is built on a 10km stretch of secluded coastline. Spread across islands and lagoons, the destination offers 17 operating hotels, 2,599 hotel rooms with 2,778 residential units sold to date and is home to 22,000 to 24,000 residents. The year-round sunshine destination boasts world-class amenities including three marinas, an 18-hole championship golf course, retail outlets, spas and fitness facilities. El-Gouna's commitment to sustainability reflects with the first Green Star certified hotels in Egypt among other supported initiatives. The eco-friendly town boasts award winning architecture, world class amenities and state of the art facilities. El-Gouna enjoys year-round sunshine, pristine beaches, snorkeling and diving sites, and sporting activities. Being an attraction for sports event planners, El-Gouna has hosted professional European football camps, international fishing competitions, international four-wheel rallies, kite-surfing, a world beach volleyball tournament and the first International Squash Open.
