Squash festival kicks off 

The BDO Namibian Open kicked off last night to usher in a top-class squash festival at the Wanderers Sports Club over the next fortnight. 

With world ranking points to the value of US$9 000 up for grabs, some of Africa’s top squash players as well as professionals from further afield will be in action in the Namibian Open which continues through to Saturday, 16 November, while the Trustco All Africa Senior Championships will follow next week from 18 to 24 November. 

The 19-year-old Mohammed Nasser of Egypt, who is ranked 89th in the world, is the top seed for the men’s tournament.

He has been quite active and successful over the post six months, winning the International Vendée tournament in France in June and the ACE Challenger tournament in Malaysia in May, while he reached the semifinals of the Open de Lagord in France last month, where he was beaten by his compatriot and the eventual champion Yassin Elshafei.

As the top seed, Nasser has received a first round bye and will only open his campaign tonight against the winner between Ahmed Elbeshouty of Egypt and Namibia’s Michael Truter. 

South Africa’s top ranked player, Dewald van Niekerk, who is ranked 118th in the world is the second seed. He, too, has been quite successful lately, winning the South African Nationals title in August after beating Damian Groenewald in straight sets in the final, and reaching two finals in Europe in September. 

On 14 September he won the Aramis Club Open in Belgium after beating Sam Osborne-Wylde of England in straight sets in the final, and a fortnight later he was the runner-up in the Schraglage Open in Boblingen, Germany after losing to Ziad Ibrahim of Egypt in the final. 

Van Niekerk also has a first round bye and will take on the winner between Namibia’s Arno Diekmann and Steven Berry tonight. 

The third seed, Gabriel Olufunmilayo of Nigeria, who is ranked 175th in the world, last month won the John Hett Sports Foundation Open in Lagos, Nigeria, after beating compatriot Kehinde Temitope in the final.

He will take on the winner between compatriot Abel Shedrack and Namibia’s Max Endjala in the second round tonight. 

Sam Gerrits of The Netherlands, who is currently ranked 221st in the world, 

will be in action tonight when he takes on the winner between Finn Koch of Germany and Callum Lawton of Zimbabwe. 

Abdallah Hafez of Egypt, who is ranked 217th in the world, is the fifth seed and will take on the winner between Hayden Worth of South Africa and Blessing Muhwati of Zimbabwe in the second round tonight. 

South Africa’s second ranked player, Damian Groenewald is the sixth seed, and will come up against the winner between the Nigerians, Faruq Sulaimon and Oladipupo Ayomide.

Groenewald, who is currently ranked 241st in the world, last year reached the final of the Namibian Open where he lost a five-set thriller to Adegoke Onaopemipo of Nigeria.

Zahed Salem of Egypt, who reached a career high world ranking of 14th in 2019, but has since dropped out of the top 300, is the seventh seed. He will take on the winner between Tristan Worth and John Anderson, both of South Africa, tonight. 

South Africa’s fourth ranked player Ruan Olivier, who is ranked 344th in the world, is the eighth seed, and will take on the winner between Le-Hugo van Rooyen of Namibia and Yusuf Elsherif of Egypt tonight. 

Two Zimbabwean players, Polite Mubure and Natasha Gwidzima are seeded first and second respectively for the Women’s Open, followed by Namibia’s Adri Lambert and Carla Nortje. Namibia’s Belina Koekemoer, Jacolene Steenkamp, Vasti Oelofse and Julene Venter make out the rest of the top eight ranked players.