Ramy Ashour: Squash Champion

In a year of political upheaval, the squash champ’s victory at the British Open last summer gave Egypt something to smile about. By Angie Balata In May, squash sensation Ramy Ashour beat France’s goliath, Gregory Gaultier, at the British Open in a match that left them both drained. Egypt held its breath when, in a truly poetic moment, the 25-year-old Ashour, wearing a T-shirt with the word INSPIRE written boldly on the front, jumped elatedly as the crowd cheered, before bowing his head to the ground in a secret exchange of thanks between him and God. Ashour, who is focused, handsome (and for those readers about to ask, yes, single) and talented, is insanely passionate about his game. He has an air of self-assurance that makes  it absolutely logical to put your faith in him but, at the same time, has enough modesty  and fear to make sure he doesn’t cross over that line into the world of ego and  superstardom. He holds a straight face when it comes to the game, but off the court he has  a boyish smile that makes him approachable. His love for squash began at a very young age. In an interview with the BBC, he said that  he first discovered squash when his father took him to games at a time when the world  greats, like Pakistan’s Jansher Khan, played in Egypt.  “I was six years old and amazed by  these glass courts and how close you could get to the sport,” he says. “I picked up a lot from great players ­—­everyone used to go and it inspired me.” Those closest to him in the game and commentators alike often speak of his agility, his speed, his will to fight, his illusiveness and his unpredictability. He is not only compared to the other great Egyptians in the game but as well to the era when Pakistani players dominated the sport and rewrote the standards of success. Ashour’s stat sheet and career thus far read like something out of the pages of the Guinness Book of World Records. In 2004, at only 16 years old, he became the youngest-ever World Junior (U19) champion. In 2006, he was the first player in history to win the World Junior Championships twice. His career turning point came in 2008 when he beat his fellow star Egyptian players Amr Shabana and Karim Darwish in the semifinals and finals, respectively, in the PSA World Championships. In January 2010, at the age of 22, he became the youngest number one player since the golden age of Khan. Of almost 300 career matches, Ashour has managed to maintain an 85% overall success rate, winning all 41 matches in the last year alone. In April, he held the number one spot with the highest points average ever recorded. And, how did he accomplish all of this? According to his manager, Fatma Hassan, he has always been a very dedicated player, even at a young age. Between school and practice, he spent the majority of his childhood years balancing a rigorous schedule. As Hassan retells, he would finish school and go immediately to the club to attend long hours of practice. The only way he kept on top of things, she says, was to finish his homework and eat his meals in the car between school and practice. Ashour’s perseverance has certainly paid off, at least on the world stage. His longtime rival, England’s James Willstrop, wrote in his book Shot and a Ghost that Ashour “…is undoubtedly one of the greatest sportsmen on the planet certainly the most talented holding a racket in the modern generation. He has the ability to dismantle the very best players and he is the most unusual squash player I have ever seen or been on court with. But unfortunately the man goes relatively unannounced globally, which is a terrible injustice. I’m sure any one of the top 10 players would be happy to admit that the speed of his game operates on a different plane. It doesn’t make him unbeatable or even necessarily the best player, but to consider winning against him, squash of the highest calibre is required.” Back home in Egypt, Ashour has opened a squash academy called Inspire in the satellite city of Shorouk. He feels that his journey will not end as a player and, rather, that he will give back and continue the game of squash through Inspire. When he’s not traveling, Ashour personally supervises it and makes sure to spend time with the kids. The Academy is an extension of what he has started, a foundation that he sees is the next logical step when his retires. But he is still young and still dabbles in various things, like, right now, music. He likes to write and produce his own songs—though it doesn’t seem that this is in any way a new career move. For now, Ashour is happy looking at where he is standing and is on edge for the next challenge. “I like to keep the drive. I always work hard to surprise myself.” This story was first published in the August issue.