New venue for 2020 (2021)
The 2020 event was cancelled due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, but the GCCC will host the 2021 event …
New Venue for 2021 (2021)
The 2021 El Gouna International Squash Open will take place between 20th and 28th May7, with the glass court staged at the brand new Gouna Conference and Culture Center, which will feature the world’s top squash players.
The highly-anticipated tournament will be the ninth edition of the El Gouna International, which was launched by Amr Mansi in 2010 as a continuation of his effort to showcase Egypt’s vigorous squash scene.
This year matches will commence at the glass court, which will be set up at the brand new, state-of-the-art Gouna Conference and Culture Center instead of the El Gouna Marina, where it has been held since 2010. Prior to that, matches will take place at the El Gouna Squash Complex.
“We have worked tirelessly to give Egypt a world-class squash tournament like El Gouna International Squash Open,” said Founder and Director of the tournament, Amr Mansi,
“Not only are we giving Egypt’s top-ranking squash champions an important platform to showcase their amazing skills, but also helping put Egypt and El Gouna in their rightful place on the global tourism map.”
A PSA World Tour Platinum tournament, the El Gouna International is one of the world’s most lucrative tournaments, with prize money amounting to a total of $330,000 split equally between men and women.
El Gouna Chief Executive Tarek Kamal said, “We are hosting the El Gouna International Squash Open for the ninth year in a row and we are proud that this year it will be held for the first time at the Gouna Conference and Culture Center.
“For more than 30 years, we were keen to make El Gouna a hub for the most significant international sports. The El Gouna International Squash Open will host players from more than 20 countries, highlighting El Gouna’s capability in hosting various cultural, artistic and sports events.”
The prestigious title has been won by Egyptians on all but one occasion, namely Karim Darwish (2010), Ramy Ashour (2012, 2014, 2015) and Mohamed ElShorbagy (2016). Nour El Sherbini secured the PSA Women’s World Championship in El Gouna in 2017, alongside French powerhouse Grégory Gaultier, the only non-Egyptian to win the El Gouna International.
The first women’s title was won by current World No.1 Raneem El Welily in 2018 who won it shortly before Marwan ElShorbagy took the men’s title, while El Welily retained her title the following year as Farag captured the men’s trophy.
Playing a pivotal role in highlighting Egypt’s tourism potential and its ability to host world-class sporting events, the El Gouna International cements El Gouna’s status as an international destination for sports fans and global celebrities alike. Further boosting its impact, the highly viewed tournament is broadcast live to audiences in over 88 countries across four continents, and is also streamed live on SQUASHTV, Eurosport Player.
Visitors to the El Gouna International from every corner of the world get to enjoy a one-of-a-kind touristic experience, while cheering on their favourite squash players as they compete at one of the world’s biggest squash tournaments.
