Winners of the squash tournament, hosted by Tennis and Country Club Fujairah, pose for a picture with the dignitaries.

Muhammed Jehangir Khan and Yehia El Gabbani pair reigned supreme as the inaugural two-day squash tournament hosted by Tennis and Country Club Fujairah ended on a high note.

Khan and Gabbani registered victory over Peter Skyes and Tia Billimoria in the well-contested finals.

Tia Billimoria (16 years) who was coached by the legendary Abbas Khan was the only girl to play in the tournament. She finished as runner-up in the B division of the tournament.

Delighted with her run at the event, Tia said:  “My performance at the tournament is a tribute to my coach Abbas Khan who passed away at the beginning of this year. I would like to invite more girls to play this game in the UAE and hopefully someday we can have an only girls’ tournament as well.”

The first edition of the squash event witnessed 64 matches being played by 32 players representing different nationalities and age groups.

Engineer Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Saif Al Sharqi, Director of Fujairah e-Government Department, graced the tournament opening. He also honoured the event sponsors including O7 FZ LLC, Maki Gym and Al Fujairah National Insurance Co.

Abdul Ghafour Behroozian, Chairman of Tennis and Country Club Fujairah, said: “We are extremely pleased with the outcome of the first squash tournament hosted by the club with great enthusiasm shown by the players.

“We have seen unexpected demand from the audience who expressed their love to attend a professional tournament. We are looking forward to host more tournaments shortly.

“We are proud of the level of professionalism that players have shown in those two days and we would like to congratulate the winners for their hard work. Also, we are extending our appreciation for the great efforts behind this success including the management, partners, sponsors, and all players who participated in this tournament,” he added.

Hania Reggi played a key role in the success of the squash tournament hosted by Tennis and Country Club Fujairah.

Hania Reggi, Senior Sales and Marketing Manager at Tennis and Country Club Fujairah, said: “The tournament was marketed through contacting different Squash clubs in the UAE. The main purpose of the tournament to promote the passion of squash held by the club and its players.

“All preparations and efforts behind this tournament were positively praised by participants and fans. We are proud that we made it a great experience to the players who showed their best in the tournament.”

“We see this tournament as a success for the Fujairah Panther’s league as a start from Fujairah and our aim to expand it to have other tournaments with other leagues across the UAE and other countries.”, said Gregory Bachelet, Director of Squash tournament.

Jaques Harmes, Director of Squash tournament, said: “We believe this tournament is important as it shed the light on squash as an important sport in Fujairah. Many enthusiasts are interested in squash and as we get them together, they can share their expertise with each other in a professional technique.”

“We are proud to collaborate with Tennis & Country Club Fujairah on this tournament as it turned out to be successful. The idea is to promote Squash in the UAE by creating a network of players to give it more exposure. We are looking forward to other tournaments where players from Fujairah will be invited to play in other emirates as well.” Piotr Arcimowicz, Director at Archibald Squash Leagues.

“We are thrilled to cooperate with Tennis and Country Club as for the first squash tournament 2021. This tournament has added value to the sports industry in Fujairah and the UAE. We are very excited to see the squash community expanding and we feel optimistic about seeing more bonding between leagues in the future,” said Obaid Al Kaabi, Chairman of O7 FZ LLC.

Khan said: “Winning the tournament is a major success that added another milestone to my expertise in squash. As this is my 1st tournament in Fujairah, it was a great experience, and I was impressed with the level of strength that other players have shown in those two days.”

“This is the 1st tournament I have ever won, and I feel grateful for Tennis & Country Club Fujairah for making such a great ambiance for us to get out the best in a friendly match. I am looking forward to future tournaments as professional as this one,” Gabbani said.

The Tennis & Country Club Fujairah will be hosting Swimming Championship during the Holy Month of Ramadan for all swimming lovers to enjoy and strengthen their swimming skills post iftar.