New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) Egypt celebrated a landmark evening in world squash as teenage prodigy Amina Orfi and World No.1 Mostafa Asal emerged victorious at the 2026 CIB Palm Hills PSA World Championships in Giza.

Competing in front of a home crowd at Golf Central Palm Hills, Orfi produced one of the most memorable performances in recent women’s squash history, while Asal delivered a dominant display to successfully defend his men’s title.

The spotlight firmly belonged to Orfi, who stunned eight-time world champion Nour ElSherbini in an epic five-game battle to become the youngest women’s world champion ever. The 18-year-old prevailed 6-11, 11-6, 11-9, 7-11, 14-12 in a gripping contest that stretched to 106 minutes and saw her save two championship points in the deciding game.

The triumph rewrites the record books for the Egyptian teenager, who surpasses ElSherbini as the youngest player to capture the women’s world title. Orfi’s breakthrough also prevented ElSherbini from claiming what would have been an unprecedented ninth World Championship crown. The final now stands as the longest women’s World Championship match played under the modern point-a-rally scoring system to 11 and ranks among the lengthiest women’s professional squash matches ever recorded.

Orfi’s title run was marked by resilience and endurance throughout the tournament. Before defeating ElSherbini in the final, she had already come through another marathon encounter in the semi-finals, where she outlasted World No.1 Hania El Hammamy in a 103-minute clash. The victory also places Orfi in unique company as the first female player to simultaneously hold the World Junior Championship and senior PSA World Championship titles.

In the men’s final, Asal reinforced his status as the dominant force in the sport with a clinical straight-games victory over fellow Egyptian Youssef Ibrahim. The top seed controlled the match from the outset and secured the championship 11-4, 11-1, 12-10, showcasing the pace, precision and attacking intensity that have defined his rise to the top of the men’s game.

While Ibrahim managed to produce resistance in the third game, the 27-year-old was unable to sustain pressure against the defending champion, particularly after an exhausting route to the final. Ibrahim had reached the biggest match of his career by defeating No.2 seed Paul Coll and former world champion Karim Abdel Gawad in successive rounds despite preparing to undergo shoulder surgery next week.

Asal’s successful title defence gives him a second PSA World Championship crown and extends his career tally to 29 PSA Tour titles, further cementing his position at the summit of the men’s game.

–IANS

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