England, Egypt rule Lagos International Squash Classics

THE Lagos International Squash Classic in their just concluded contest during the weekend England’s Adrian Grant and Egypt’s Heba El-Torky emerged as champions as the  top players in the competition and true to their rating.

 The tournament which attracted top players across the globe was sanctioned by Professional Squash Association (PSA) and Women Professional Squash Association (WSA) and it is point hauling event held at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.

 National dailysports gathered that from the start of the competition, England’s Grant was outstanding in all his matches and this became obvious in the men’s final against Egypt’s Karim Ali Fathi.

  Despite stiff resistance from the Egyptian in the first game, the Englishman had his way to win the match at 11-9, 11-6, 11-2 to lift the title.

  Also in the women’s event, Egypt’s El-Torky confirmed her status as the best ranked player in the championship as she fought hard coupled with experience to humble Netherlands’ Milou van der Heijden 11-9, 15-13, 11-9 to emerge as the top player.

  For their efforts the Egyptian and Briton got cash reward and they will also amassed points for their world rating.

  In the boys’ U-19, it was battle between two brothers – Onaopemipo and Temilolu Adegoke with Onaopemipo having the upper hand after beating his sibling to the title at 3-2.

  For El-Torky, winning against the Dutch was very vital having seen the Dutch causing an upset in the semifinal where he edged out the tournament number two seed.

  “Heidjden caused an upset in the semifinal and that was not expected so I have to go with power to win. It is very important for me to win this tournament and garnered points to improve my world rating,” she said.

  For Grant, despite the task he faced against the talented Egyptian, he never doubted that he would overcome the North African.

   However, the foreign players that featured in the one-week tournament commended the organizers for staging a hitch-free competition, while the Lagos State Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Wahid Oshodi believes with more exposure, Nigerian players can rub shoulders with some of the world’s best in subsequent tournaments.

  In his remarks, Chairman, Lagos State Squash Association (LSSA), Sanya Akindele, believes with more capacity to stage tournaments, Nigerian players would compete favourably with their foreign counterparts.