World's Top Stars Confirmed For World Team
Championship In Canada
A
star-studded line-up representing 20 nations - featuring the entire
world top ten - will compete in next month's SHOP.CA Women's WSF
World Team Squash Championship in Canada, according to the finalised
squads confirmed today by the World Squash Federation.
Defending champions Egypt have revealed a formidable line-up
boasting four players within the world top 11 - and are likely to be
named as favourites to retain the title in the 19th staging of the
biennial championship at White Oaks Conference Resort & Spa in
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, from 1-6 December.
Led by
world No3 Raneem El Welily, the Egyptian squad also includes
Nour El Sherbini (world No4), Nour El Tayeb (8) and
experienced campaigner Omneya Abdel Kawy (11)
Nicol
David,
who this month celebrated an unprecedented 100th successive month at the
top of the world rankings, leads Malaysia for the seventh
successive time since 2002 - hoping to improve on her country's bronze
medal finish for the past four times and win the only major title which
has so far eluded her.
David,
unbeaten in the event in 27 matches over the past ten years, will be
supported by world No7 Low Wee Wern, together with Delia
Arnold and Zulhijjah Binti Azan.
Hosts
Canada will be led by the country's two-time champion Samantha
Cornett, the world No30 making her third appearance in the
championship. The country will be hoping that home advantage will take
the team into the last eight for the first time since 2000.
Ottawa-based 23-year-old Cornett will be partnered by Nationals
runner-up Danielle Letourneau, Toronto-based Nikki Todd
and 20-year-old Hollie Naughton.
USA
will also field a powerful squad, led by Amanda Sobhy, the
21-year-old Harvard University student whose career-high world No10
ranking cements her status as the country's highest-ranked home-grown
player of all-time. Sobhy will be supported by younger sister Sabrina
Sobhy, the in-form 21-year-old Olivia Blatchford and South
Africa-raised former world No1 Natalie Grainger.
2012
runners-up England, the six-time former champions who have only
once in the 35-year history of the championships finished outside the
top two, will be led by world champion Laura Massaro, the world
No2. With world No5 Alison Waters at second string, the squad
will also feature two event debutantes - Sarah-Jane Perry and
Emma Beddoes, ranked 17 & 18, respectively, in the world.
"There
is considerable depth at this year's SHOP.CA Women's World Team Squash
Championship with the top 10 players in the world participating,"
commented Squash Canada Executive Director and Championship Director
Danny Da Costa. "Egypt, England and Malaysia are all strong
contenders for the title - however we feel our Canadian girls can
challenge for a top eight placing at this year's event.
"Hosting the SHOP.CA Women's World Team Squash Championship gives Canada
an unique opportunity to showcase the best female players in the world
and, by doing so, we feel it presents an opportunity to grow the game of
squash in Canada.
"One
of our main focuses of this year's event was to promote women in sport
and women in leadership positions and by hosting this event we can
create an opportunity to have more girls playing, coaching and
officiating squash across all levels of our development pathway."
Guatemala
will be making their maiden appearance in the championship, the full
line-up of which also includes Australia, Austria, Canada, China,
Colombia, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong China, India,
Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, USA and
Wales.
