5 years after ward’s conquer of Chennai, Egypt coach hopes to go the distance

CHENNAI: Five years ago, Mostafa Asal, the current Men’s World No.4, made the squash fraternity take notice of him by clinching a double – the 2018 World Junior Championships individual and team titles – in Chennai.

And now, his coach, Mohamed Elkeiy, hopes to replicate what Asal did – come up trumps in a marquee tournament hosted at India’s ‘squash capital’ and leave the metropolis with a piece of silverware.Elkeiy is currently serving as a coach for the Egypt national team that is vying for the top prize in the Squash World Cup here.

The 43-year-old Egyptian will have to find a way to go the distance in the absence of not only Asal but also many other big guns (it is to be recalled that a lot of superstars have given the event a miss). “Hopefully, [Chennai remains a special place for us],” Elkeiy told DT Next after Egypt’s dominant 4-0 victory over Australia in a Pool A tie on Tuesday.

“We are waiting for the upcoming ties (Egypt has two more ties in the group stage). We are taking it tie by tie. The new format (first to seven points in a game) is a bit tricky; every country has a good chance to win. The format puts pressure on the players as a game is very short. When you are at 4-4, both you and your opponent are just three points away from winning a game. So, you have to be careful with how you play,” Elkeiy added.

Elkeiy, whose Egypt side is the top seed and the pre-tournament favourite, stressed that rankings go out of the window in a fast-paced event like the ongoing World Cup. “With the format that we have, it is not about which player has the higher ranking. I think that you will see a lot of surprises during the course of the tournament.”

On working with Asal

Elkeiy said that his next target would be to get Asal back on track. In March, the 22-year-old was handed a six-week suspension by the Professional Squash Association (PSA) for ‘dangerous play’ and slipped down a few places from World No.1.

“I am working with him on adjusting the tactics so that he does not put himself in a situation where the referee can go against him. I am trying to calm him down and change a few strategies… to win without any consequences,” said Elkeiy, whose partnership with Asal began last month at the El Gouna International in Egypt. Right after his World Cup duty, Elkeiy will join his ward for the World Tour Finals in his home country later this month.