Egyptians Marwan El Shorbagy and Nour El Tayeb, the reigning world junior champions, head the new WSF World Junior Circuit Rankings launched in early October by the World Squash Federation.
El Shorbagy, aged 18 and from Alexandria, made history in July when he won the WSF Men’s World Junior Individual Championship crown in Belgium— two years after his older brother won the title for the second time.
Marwan and Mohamed El Shorbagy, currently ranked eight in the world, became the first brothers in the sport’s history to win world individual titles.
It was a week later in the USA that El Tayeb, still only 17, made up for the disappointment of finishing as runner-up both in 2009 and 2010 by clinching the 2011 title at Harvard University in Boston.
Egyptians also hold second place in both inaugural lists—Mohamed Abouelghar, runner-up to El Shorbagy in Belgium, in the men’s, and 15-year-old Nour El Sherbini, winner of the 2009 world junior championship, in the women’s.
Title success in last month’s Indian Junior Open has taken India’s Mahesh Mangaonkar to third place in the men’s list, ahead of England’s Oliver Holland, winner of August’s Hong Kong Junior Open in fourth.
Lee Ka Yi, of Hong Kong China, winner of the women’s Hong Kong Junior Open title, is No. 3 in the women’s list, while 17-year-old Indian Anaka Alankamony, the other Indian Junior Open champion, is No. 4.
The new WSF World Junior Circuit Rankings—which are based on the under 19 age grouping— will be issued quarterly, based on results achieved in national junior opens, regional championships and WSF World Junior Individual Championships.
“The World Junior Circuit has taken shape and really does link the major events of the world junior scene,” explained WSF CEO Andrew Shelley. “It also gives our future stars a benchmark against which to chart their progress.”
Men’s top 10:
1. Marwan El Shorbagy (Egypt) 66.67
2. Mohamed Abouelghar (Egypt) 46.67
3. Mahesh Mangaonkar (India) 38.33
4. Oliver Holland (England) 31.67
5= Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry (Egypt) 26.67
5= Amr Khaled Khalifa (Egypt) 26.67
7. Tatu Knuutila (Finland) 25.00
8. Abhishek Pradhan (India) 21.67
9= Jaakko Vähämaa (Finland) 15.00
9= Ho Tze He (Hong Kong China) 15.00
Women’s top 10:
1. Nour El Tayeb (Egypt) 66.67
2. Nour El Sherbini (Egypt) 46.67
3. Lee Ka Yi (Hong Kong China) 37.67
4. Anaka Alankamony (India) 31.67
5= Amanda Sobhy (USA) 26.67
5= Emily Whitlock (England) 26.67
7. Ho Ka Po (Hong Kong China) 21.67
8= Nouran El Torky (Egypt) 13.33
8= Olivia Blatchford (USA) 13.33
8= Salma Hany (Egypt) 13.33
