Diego Elias and Nour El Sherbini are set for historic success in next month’s WSF World Junior Squash Championships in Namibia according to the draws for the sport’s first ever world championship to be held in the southern African country announced today by the World Squash Federation.
The Men’s & Women’s World Junior Individual Championships will take place at the Wanderers Sports Club in the capital Windhoek from 10-15 August, followed by the Men’s World Junior Team Championship from 16-21 August. 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, who became the sport’s youngest ever world champion after first winning the women’s world junior (U19) 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.