In an exciting showdown at the HCL Squash India Tour Ahmedabad 2026 held in Gujarat, Egyptian squash players Farida Walid and Seif Refaay emerged victorious in the women's and men's singles categories, respectively, as reported by Olympics.com.
Farida Walid, currently ranked 107th, faced off against local favorite Tanvi Khanna, who is ranked 81st. The match was a nail-biter, lasting 65 minutes, with Walid securing a 3-2 victory (9-11, 13-15, 11-8, 12-10, 11-5). Despite Khanna's strong start, taking a 2-0 lead, Walid showcased remarkable resilience to turn the match in her favor.
Notably, Anahat Singh from India did not participate in this event as she is competing in the Squash on Fire Open in Washington, where she has already reached the semi-finals.
In August of the previous year, Tanvi Khanna faced a similar fate in the women's singles final of the Squash India Tour Jaipur 2025, where she was the runner-up after a tough match against Egypt's Nour Khafagy. Despite her efforts, she lost 3-1 (11-3, 5-11, 11-5, 12-10).
In the men's final, Seif Refaay triumphed over Hazem Hossam in a completely Egyptian contest, winning decisively with a score of 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 11-4) in just 42 minutes. India's Suraj Kumar Chand was eliminated in the semi-finals by Refaay, while Hossam had previously defeated the top seed, Mohamed Gohar, in the quarter-finals.
The Ahmedabad event marked the fifth leg of the HCL Squash Tour for the 2025-26 season. The tour began last year with legs in Jaipur, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bengaluru, and will conclude with the final leg in Delhi, scheduled from February 3 to 7.