Shabana Heads Guest List At Second World Squash Awards
The 27-year-old from Cairo, who clinched his fifth PSA Tour title of the year in the end-of-year Super Series Platinum event in Al Khobar yesterday (Wednesday), is nominated for the PSA Male Player of the Year award. Fellow nominees include England's Nick Matthew, the 26-year-old from Sheffield who became the first home-grown Englishman to win the British Open title for more than 60 years in September; and Australia's World Open champion David Palmer.
The World Squash Awards are being hosted for the second year by Eventis Sports Marketing, the company formed by four-times Commonwealth Games gold medallist Peter Nicol and fellow directors Tim Garner and Angus Kirkland.
Joining Amr Shabana at the World Squash Awards dinner will be members of England's historic double World Team Championship-winning squads, including Peter Nicol, Nick Matthew, Lee Beachill, James Willstrop, Tania Bailey, Jenny Duncalf and Tania Bailey; Egypt's record two-times World Junior Champion Ramy Ashour; Frenchman Gregory Gaultier, runner-up this week in Saudi; former women's World Open champion Vanessa Atkinson (Netherlands); Guyana's Nicolette Fernandes; England's Adrian Grant, Joey Barrington and Lauren Briggs; and former England internationals Chris Walker and Paul Johnson.
The full list of nominees is:
PSA Male Player of the Year:
Nick Matthew (ENG), David Palmer (AUS), Amr Shabana (EGY)
PSA Young Male Player of the Year:
Ramy Ashour (EGY), Peter Barker (ENG), Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
WISPA Female Player of the Year:
Tania Bailey (ENG), Nicol David (MAS), Natalie Grinham (AUS), Engy Kheirallah (EGY), Madeline Perry (IRL)
WISPA Young Female Player of the Year:
Camille Serme (FRA), Tenille Swartz (RSA), Raneem El Weleily (EGY), Joshna Chinappa IND), Annie Au (HKG)
WISPA Most Improved Female Player of the Year:
Kasey Brown (AUS), Nicolette Fernandes (GUY), Manuela Manetta (ITA). Samantha Teran (MEX), Chinatsu Matsui (JPN)
There will also be a Lifetime Achievement award.