Hong Kong Squash Open 2022 returns with a strong field of world’s top class players
The Everbright Securities International Hong Kong Squash Open 2022 is making a strong return to the city after a four-year absence.
Heading the field of the 28th Nov to 4th Dec extravaganza will be the men’s and women’s world number one, Ali Farag of Egypt, runner-up at the last two Hong Kong Opens, and Nouran Gohar, also of Egypt, the Hong Kong 2016 champion.
The 48-player draw for each category will also feature both the defending champions, Mohamed ElShorbagy – a four-time winner and the men’s world No. 4 who is now playing for England – and Joelle King of New Zealand, now ranked fifth in the world.
The two players were crowned the champions when the tournament was last held in 2018. After that, the star-studded event was called off for 2019 because of social unrest in Hong Kong while the last two versions were unable to take place under the Covid-19 pandemic.
Always a popular tournament among the top players, the 2022 Hong Kong Open has also attracted other squash stars as it returns to the world tour calendar. This includes Nour El Sherbini of Egypt, the 2017 Hong Kong Open women’s champion who just won her sixth World Championship title in Egypt in May, Hania El Hammamy, one of the most exciting upcoming women’s players who currently ranks third in the world and Paul Coll of New Zealand, the men’s world number two.
In fact, of the top 10 players in the women’s world rankings, only one is missing from the start list in Hong Kong and only two of the men’s top 10 will not be coming, showcasing the strongest possible lineup.
Hong Kong will also send their best players as they face strong challenges from the overseas legions. Heading the list will be Tomato Ho Tze-lok in the women’s, the world number 36 and Henry Leung Chi-hin in the men’s, the world number 50. Other home players that will have the opportunity of rubbing shoulders against the world’s best will be Lee Ka-yi, Tong Tsz-wing, Cheng Nga-ching and Fung Ching-hei in the women’s and Alex Lau Tsz-kwan, Wong Chi-him and Tang Ming-hong in the men’s category.
It will be an invaluable learning experience for these home players and interesting to see if they can live up to the expectations.
Presented by Hong Kong Squash for over three decades in Asia’s capital of sport, the platinum tournament offers a hefty prize purse of US$340,000, which will be equally shared by the men’s and women’s players.
The opening stages of the tournament will take place at the Squash Centre on Cotton Tree Drive in Admiralty, with a glass court set up at the nearby Hong Kong Park Indoor Sports Centre for the quarter-finals stage onward.
With the pandemic easing after hitting the city for more than two years, it’s time to give something back to sports fans in Hong Kong.
Do not miss the opportunity – watching the world’s best squash players in Hong Kong. See you all in November!
