World champion squash player determined to hold onto his title CAIRO: Often nicknamed "The Prince of Egypt by the international press, Amr Shabana has proven to be the best squash player, not only in Egypt, but also in the world. The charismatic Shabana is the quickest left-hander in the league, which has helped him reach his current ranking, a title he plans to keep for a while. The 26-year-old world champion first picked up a racket at the age of two. "I didn't really choose the sport as much as I just found myself playing it, he says. He didn't really start to play until he was 10, turning professional in 1995. At first he was unable to focus enough on squash, because he also wanted a college degree, so his ranking was stuck between 20 and 30 while studying. After graduating with a degree in mass communication (specializing in advertising), Shabana decided to try out squash full time for two years and see where it would take him. After intensive training in 2003, Shabana won his first World Open (the event that serves as the individual world championship for squash players). Although he was the first Egyptian to win, Ahmed Barada was close in 1991, when he came in second place. Shabana was quite disappointed when he flew back from France and found no one waiting for him at the airport, minimal press and no real recognition. This was discouraging for Shabana and it weakened his performance in 2004. "I was in recession. I was training, but I wasn't winning . it was a problem, he says. The following year, however, the ball was back in his court, literally. Shabana was on top again after winning the World Open for a second time in 2005. In April 2006 he won the Bermuda PSA Masters, and his ranking was upgraded to number one. This time Shabana received a great deal of recognition. Upon returning to Egypt, he received a call from the office of President Hosni Mubarak, who is a squash player himself, asking him to visit the president. There he was given state recognition of the first order, the highest a sportsman can receive, given to him by the president. "After I got ranked as number one I got everything back. The president's gesture was very much appreciated. Definitely one of the highlights of my career, he says. For many people squash is a pastime, but for Shabana it is a vocation that can get exhausting. "I get tired but I don't have time to get bored ... the physical strain is very hard, he explains. Shabana trains five times a week, with several hours of physical fitness a day and two to three hours of squash. Traveling also becomes hectic as he leaves the country about 14 times a year. To preserve his number one ranking, Shabana has to continue to play his best at every tournament. "The next period will be hard ... as I am number one I can't get better but I have to defend, so it's much harder, he says. Coming up in August is the World Open 2006 in Cairo, organized by Al Ahram; the matches will take place in a glass court in front of the pyramids. It was also held at the same locale in 1985 and 1999. This year, six Egyptian players have qualified, including Shabana, and will take part in the games. They are hoping to market it the same way the African Cup 2006 was arranged; selling tickets to a high caliber audience. It is no surprise that the World Open is to be played in Egypt, as the country has a strong history in the sport. Many great squash players have been Egyptian. Abdel Fatah Pasha Omar (1920s), Mahmoud Abdel Karim (1930s), Abdel Fatah, Ibrahim Amin (1950s) and Abdel Fatah Abou Taleb (1960s) have all won the premier title. Shabana is the first Egyptian to win the World Open since it was started in 1976, and is the 10th player to top the inaugural list since it was produced over 20 years ago. He owes a huge part of his success to his sponsor, Minister of Petroleum Sameh Fahmy. The minister is a big supporter of sports and tries to watch as many of Shabana's matches as he can. In the far future, after retiring from the court, Shabana hopes to start a squash academy that not only teaches the game but also promotes players and gets them sponsorship, which is something he feels the sport lacks. Until then, Shabana is working hard on keeping his number one spot. "I'm holding on as long as I can, says the world champion. The Al-Ahram World Open Squash Championship will be played on the Giza Plateau in front of the Pyramids from August 29 to September 6, 2006.
