From Cairo to Cambridge: Egyptian National Squash Coach Amir Wagih
by Sarah Cortes - Behind 2011 Women's World Jr Squash Champion Nour el Tayeb, 18, who won in Cambridge Monday night, stands an Egyptian junior women's team, trainers, personal coaches, club coaches, club sparring partners and parents. Standing out amongst the village it takes to make a champion, Egyptian National coach Amir Wagih leads the team.
With a record twenty world team championship wins to his credit, "Captain" Amir Wagih is currently seeking his twenty-first. He faces one of the strongest US teams ever, including Amanda and Sabrina Sobhy, Olivia Blatchford and Haley Mendez. Amanda and Sabrina train several months out of the year at the same club as el Tayeb, the Heliopolos Club in Cairo.
Egypt' junior women's team is competing against those of 15 other nations. Wagih has prepared his team, among other ways, by arriving several days earlier than the rest of the competitors, and keeping the players mainly together in the hotel.
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But his claim nearly backfired when Egypt, the defending champions, narrowly survived an epic tussle with France to set up a repeat of the 2005 final with England.
England looked mightily impressive against Australia thanks to two stunning wins by James Willstrop and Nick Matthew. Egypt had to thank Mohamed Shorbagy for beating Mathieu Catagnet in five epic games as they just held off France 2-1.
However Wagih, who first road mapped Egypt’s future in 1994, told Telegraph Sport: “England, like France, have a very strong team but in two or three years there will be no one there. They are all around 30 and won’t be there at the top.”
Egypt, whose own power began to wane in the mid-90s, looked at Pakistan’s demise and the successes of England and Australia to quell their own weaknesses.
Wagih added: “We were very good up until the mid nineties. But we worked on our weak points and learned from the other countries.
C'est vrai