02 Oct 2023
Aspire Academy student-athlete Ali Ouda and recent graduate Youssef Farag both emerged victorious at the recent Danish Junior Squash Open in Copenhagen.
Ali Ouda, who is in Grade 10, won the under-15’s and Youssef Farag took the under-19 title.
The event in Denmark was the first tournament of the new academic year for the Aspire Academy and featured more than 200 competitors from around Europe, India, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Malaysia.
Despite having a tough draw Ouda Ali managed to stay focused and overcame several high-quality opponents and eventually beat Finland’s number 1 Justus Timonen 3-0 in the final.
In the under-19’s Youssef Farag not only had to battle his opponents but also a stomach upset ahead of his semi-final.
Despite the pain and feeling weak he played on and earned a 3-0 win over Wales’s Erin Ängmo-Paterson. He had fully recovered in time for Sunday’s final where he beat Poland’s Leon Krysiak 3-1.
Aspire Academy squash coach Francesco Busi, who accompanied the two players to the tournament, praised the two winners.
“It was great that Youssef carried on playing and proved that he can through even in hard circumstances,” he said.
“Both players showed both physical and mental strength at this tournament, and it gives us high hopes for the upcoming tournaments.”
The two players will be in action again next weekend at the Nordic Junior Open in Malmö, Sweden where they will be joined by three more players from Aspire. With Omar Farag (U13), Talal Al Badr (U15), and Khalid Al Hammadi (U17) also set to take part.