AHMED SAFWAT
by Squash Photographer
Fritz Borchert
With great sadness and with some difficulty to comprehend, I heard of the
sudden death of Ahmed Safwat.
He was a good friend of mine, going back to the days,
where he coached the first emerging talents of German Squash the finer
points of the game. He and his English born Wife Ann, came to Hamburg ( my
Hometown) in the early 80’s and settled there for several years.
I often visited their home, where Ann with a young
family emerging, showed great adaptability in a foreign country. Her
devotion to Ahmed and the children was underlined, when she changed her
faith to become a Moslem.
While other coaches chased the easy money, available in the new Squash
Nation Germany, often not covered themselves in glory, it was Ahmed Safwat,
who sowed the seeds of his skilful game, which reaped their rewards, long
after he moved back to England and set up home in Southend. Hamburg became
quickly the Centre of Excellence in the German squash scene.
There are very few squash players, who will ever handle a squash racket so
elegantly and skilful as Ahmed Safwat did. He was also a very astute
tactician, which let him always choose the right shot, at the right time.
He was not the one, to have a hundred stroke rally or
run constantly from one corner to another, he made his points with sheer
racket skills, more in the mould of a Rodney Martin. Ahmed volley’s
executed from anywhere in the court, were deadly.
But more as the skills on court, was his sportsman like
behaviour, that earned him the respect of his follow competitors. Where
Safwat was playing, the referees could go to sleep.
His easy going nature, was also his greatest asset off court. Popular not
only with his fellow internationals, Liz Irwin and Sue Wright have sought
his council, club players and fans found the Egyptian equally friendly and
helpful. It was therefore no surprise, when Safwat’s proceeded his
successful playing career, with that of a very successful coach.
Particularly Egyptians highly talented Juniors have
benefited from the “O40” and “O50”World Masters Champion. No- where else
will the great loss be Safwat felt more, as in
next month Women’s World Junior in Cairo.
Fritz Borchert
More
Tributes I am very very shocked
to hear this tragic news …
Ahmed was one of the absolute gentlemen of our World Squash
community …some one who was not only very special, but also enormously
respected by everyone who knew him. Someone I always looked forward to
meeting at the many World events where we crossed paths on numerous
occasions. He will be greatly missed.
Susie Simcock, former WSF President
He was an unbelievable bloke. A real gentleman. I wish I could have played
the way he did. Not only with his skills but with the same demeanour.
Chris Dittmar, Australia's former world No1
I played Ahmed in three British Closed Championship Finals - all on
Guernsey (Major Millman was the organiser). He won all three but as has
been said there were very few lets if any in these matches. A wonderful
competitor and sportsman he was a great example to all, especially the
juniors in the game.
Bryan Patterson, English coach, now based in USA
I'm so saddened by this news and will keep Ahmed in my prayers.
Carol Owens, New Zealand's world No1
Ahmed was a person I was never fortunate to know as a friend... he might
not even recognize me by name or put name to face... but he is someone I
deeply admired for his true sportsmanship... I still remember his game
with asran in the early 70s, when he came back from a 2-0 defeat and
several points deficit in the third game to win that game, the following
two, and the championship, and did all this in great perseverance, a
pleasant but fighting spirit, and in a non-assuming manner. This is not
the first time that I have received shocking news of the sudden
disappearance of some people ... but it is one
of those shocks that will leave me as long as I'm still living
...
Abdel Aziz Ezzel Arab, Ph D, Assistant Professor, Economics
Department & Director, Core Curriculum, American University in Cairo.
|
Ahmed Safwat
1947-2003 |
World Squash mourns
Ahmed Safwat
from Howard Harding
The Squash world is mourning the sudden death on Tuesday (29 July) evening
of former Egyptian international Ahmed Safwat.
One of the most popular figures the game has ever produced, Safwat was
born on 6th June 1947 in Cairo, but spent most of his recent life in
England with his wife and family.
A world top ten player in the 70s, Safwat was noted for the grace and
artistry which set him apart from most of his contemporaries. He moved to
Germany to coach for a period at the latter end of his career before
moving to Courtlands Park, near Southend in the UK, where his wife Ann
worked.
In recent years, he coached Egyptian junior girl and women's teams. Two
months ago he went back to his roots as coach at the Heliopolis Club in
Cairo, planning to split time between Egypt and England. He won the World
Masters O40 title; was twice the O50 champion; and was top seed for the
World O55 title in Finland next week.
It was on Monday evening that he was taken to the ICU Hospital in Cairo
after complaining of chest pains following a coaching session at the
Heliopolis Club. After an examination by a cardiologist he was allowed to
go home but advised to have further tests. Having booked his flight back
to London on Thursday, he decided to have these back in England - but then
suffered a heart attack later that evening at home and was rushed back to
the hospital.
Although he appeared to have recovered on Tuesday, he suffered a further
attack some 24 hours later and was unable to be revived.
Dr Samiha Aboul Magd of the Egyptian Squash Federation visited Safwat in
hospital on Tuesday. "I stayed with him for almost an hour - he was fine,
almost back to normal, and asked the doctor to go back home but was told
that it was better that he stayed for the night. It is a great loss for us
here at the Heliopolis Club, his own club and the last place he worked
for. It is a loss for Egypt and for international squash."
England's Jonah Barrington, who beat Safwat in the quarter-finals of the
1973 British Open en-route to winning the title for a sixth time,
remembers his opponent with much affection: "He was a lovely man, a
natural gentleman who was great to play - there was hardly ever a let. He
was very skilled and played the side wall brilliantly.
He represented his
country with pride and honour and did a great job for professional squash.
He was also a very significant personality when there were a number of
personalities in the sport. Everybody warmed to him, adults and
youngsters.
"He was also a very handsome man, with eyelashes that most women would
have died for!" Barrington recalls.
World Squash Federation (WSF) President Jahangir Khan has also expressed
his grief at the passing of such a wonderful Squash player and true
gentleman of sport: "Ahmed's passing diminishes us all. Squash will not be
the same without him," said the ten-times British Open champion from
Pakistan.
"There's a song which bemoans the fact that the good die young and Ahmed's
passing is just such an example," said Andrew Shelley, Director of WISPA
and former Events Manager at the SRA. "I have known him for twenty five
years and never heard a bad word spoken about him. He was a gentle man who
was also a gentleman.
"It is the most awful tragedy for his wife Ann and his family, but the
whole world of squash that have seen his silken play, his coaching skills
and wonderful demeanour will miss him too. He was a special guy." |
