Fram reports
Behind every champion lies a story of sacrifice, persistence, and an unwavering family commitment. For Egypt’s rising squash stars Amina and Nazli Orfi, that story begins with their parents, Mohamed and Rasha… Blahblahblah…
I guess if I were asking AI to write an intro, that’s what it would have sounded like. But it wouldn’t tell the story now, would it…
Basically, on my left, a Specialist in gastroenterology and haepatology with his own clinic, and teaching at Cairo Uni, on my right, his wife, a Libyan by birth, organised, intense, passionate. In the middle, a daughter who wants to go to the Cairo American Uni and is looking for a scholarship.
Mum suggests Tennis. But Dad thinks that Squash – a sport they know absolutely zip about – would be a better choice. “In Egypt, we have the know-how; it will be easier.”
That’s the start of the extraordinary journey of the Orfi family.
It all started at Gezira Club
The journey began far away from squash. Mohamed and Rasha were members of one of the most famous (and old) Cairo clubs. Kids can play many, many sports, and Gezira produced a few champions, including Amr Shabana, Omar Elborolossy, Tarek Momen, and so many others.
Aged 4, Amina saw Omneya Abdel Kawy play Nicol David in a final. Three days later, at Gezira Club, she saw Omneya in person.
“Amina thought at the time that “Omneya” was “AMINA”, Mohamed smiles. “From that moment, she decided she was “little Amina”, and that she wanted to play squash like ‘Big Amina’.”
At the age of five, she began lessons twice a week with various coaches. But the response was sceptical:
“Everyone said she’s too small, she won’t play well.”
Only one person seemed to notice and believe in the young girl. At 6, Amina’s talent caught the eye of Hossam Nasser, then President of the Egyptian Squash Federation and Secretary General of the African Squash Federation.
Nasser recalls:
“I have known Amina Orfi since she was six years old, when I happened to see her practising solo on the court. It was quite rare to witness a delightful six-year-old girl practising on her own and adeptly performing drills.
“Amina entered the squash scene early on and emerged victorious in all the international tournaments she participated in. Her most notable accomplishment was winning three consecutive world junior under-19 titles, the first of which she achieved at the age of only 15. And now, she added another fourth one, an unprecedented feat never before seen in junior squash history.
“Such an accomplishment should unquestionably be documented in the annals of sporting achievements. Amina will forever and ever be my one and only champion.”
At the time, he told her parents: “This girl will be #1. If you need anything, any advice, come and ask me.” So for the next two years, the family followed his guidance.
Amina the Discipline Coach
If anything, Amina set the tone for the whole family.
“She taught us about discipline,” Mohamed says. At just 9½, before her first British Junior Open, her parents found a note stuck to her wall: “Let success make the noise.”
That motto has guided her ever since.
“Go and play Marbles”
Not everyone shared Hossam’s vision. At 7½, when Amina trained at the Shooting Club because Gezira was too far from the family home, one coach dismissed her completely: “He told us she was very bad, and advised me to make her do another activity. He proposed marbles — I kid you not!” Mohamed remembers.
He made a pact with his family: “If in the next four years she doesn’t beat older girls, I’ll advise her to become a doctor like me, and we’ll stop squash.”
Out of nowhere, success comes
Although her forehand was weak, her backhand stronger, and the family admitted they knew little about squash, seeking advice wherever possible, the breakthrough came quickly.
At 8 years and 4 months, Amina won her first tournament in Port Said. At 9, she captured the Egyptian National U11 title and the British Junior Open U11. That was the true beginning.
But who the heck was she? Where was she coming from? At the Nationals that year, no one knew her name or who was coaching her. And nobody believed she would last in squash.
“People told us, she’ll stop next year. Every year, they said the same thing: ‘She won’t continue…’
Equalling Ramy’s junior achievement
The decisive shift came in 2019. At 11½, Amina began winning across age groups, capturing both the Egyptian U13 and U15 Nationals — something only Ramy Ashour had done before – and she did it all season, wining the 7 local events. Then she won US Junior and the BJO 2020.
COVID Years: Ghosting in the Street
When COVID struck, everything stopped. The family improvised, using training videos and turning their compound streets into a squash court.
“She worked on her footwork at night, imagining she was on court, ghosting in the street,” Mohamed recalls.
When competitions resumed, she was quickly selected for the Egyptian U15 team — and just one month later, for the U17 team as well.
Strange Rulings and Federation Obstacles
In 2022, the family were stunned to learn of a new rule: girls under 15 were barred from competing in World Juniors U19. Boys were unaffected.
“This was very strange,” Mohamed says.
From where they stood, it looked as if someone was trying to prevent Amina from competing and shining. After loud protesting, Amina was allowed to play qualifications against nine other girls. She won all her matches and earned selection for the team as #4.
The irony? While she was only Egypt’s #4, the World Squash Federation had not seen her since she was 11, and still seeded her #2. Also, she was scheduled on the glass court as early as the round of 64, while Egypt’s #1, Kenzy Ayman, only reached it in the quarterfinals.
“To us, it was like outside Egypt people saw something in Amina that Egypt at the time didn’t want to see.”
Parental Lessons and Sacrifices
Let’s be honest. My relationship with the Orfis didn’t start that well.
I had heard about their reputation (bit of ‘pain in the b’), and I didn’t appreciate some of their attitude. My world-famous diplomacy led to a quick clash, and as the story goes, it was “the beginning of a beautiful friendship”, based on frankness, honesty and respect – and a lot of Egyptian sweets at Gezira Club…
One main element of the relationship comes from a simple fact: I am extremely impressed by Amina, and I have been for years.
If I wasn’t that keen on her not calling her double bounces a few years ago, that flaw quickly passed and only stayed her incredible determination, work ethic and talent. She is, in my eyes, a player who could have Nicol David’s aura and domination results-wise.
Mohamed and Rasha admit mistakes along the way.
“Gezira Club wasn’t pushing its team back then… we had to step in when Amina was removed from national teams or blocked from U19. Otherwise, nobody would have fought for her.”
Unlike many families, they never asked the Federation for money.
“Other parents did. But we felt better to manage everything ourselves and find our own sponsors.”
And in comes Nazli…
The Orfis’ second daughter, Nazli, was born five years after Amina. Like her sister, she is an A student at the American International School.
At first, squash wasn’t her path.
“Maybe she wanted our attention,” Mohamed reflects. At 9, she lost her first two tournaments in the opening rounds.
Her mother suggested focusing on her true passion: drawing.
“I told Rasha, let’s give it two more months,” Mohamed says.
Two months later, at Heliopolis, she won the tournament — and never looked back, although she still draws beaufifully. She went on to become runner-up at Wadi Degla and champion at Gezira. The turning point came at the 2024 BJO U13, where she was seeded #17 out of 62, and she finished third.
“It was like watching a film,” Mohamed recalls. “She completely changed. She believed in herself, realised she was not just Amina’s sister, but Nazli.”
Two Sisters, Two Characters
But the sisters couldn’t be more different.
Amina: disciplined, calm, a reader, reserved, can train alone for hours. Nazly: expressive, playful, clever, harder to discipline, opens up easily.
“You have to put words into Amina’s mouth” smiles Mohamed. “Whether for squash or at home. She is very calm, reading, reading books, staying with her sister. They have a room each but they always stay in one room with each other. If you leave Amina, she can stay for two days without speaking”.
“Also, we could leave Amina two hours on court, she’d still be working. With Nazly, you leave her one minute, she’s gone!” laughs Mohamed.
The parents adapted their coaching approach accordingly. If Amina has the same main coach from the age of seven, Captain Abdel Fattah, Nazli’s coaches were chosen to nurture her love for the game first, before introducing stricter methods. And her progress is undeniable: in her first U13 year, she is already Egypt #2.
Quality, Not Quantity
Another surprising aspect of the Orfis’ philosophy is training volume.
“People wouldn’t believe how little time Amina trains compared to other girls. But she trains with full concentration,” Mohamed explains.
Nazli, meanwhile, is inspired by Ramy and Hisham Ashour, trying to use her wrist more, but she shares her sister’s fighting spirit and pace.
Inspirations: Nick Matthew and Nicol David
Throughout her journey, Amina has earned admiration and inspiration from legends.
During COVID in 2020, Nick Matthew was asked who the best woman on tour was. He replied: “The best woman player is not in the tour yet.” The photo he took with Amina on his own phone that day remains a cherished memory.
At 10, Amina faced heavy criticism about her forehand. She reached out to Nicol David, who, after taking the time to review her matches, gave detailed technical advice. A year later, Nicol messaged again: she believed Amina could be the one to break her records.
Respect is central to Amina’s approach. She admires players like Hania El Hammamy as “a fighter who plays fair, win or lose”, Olivia Weaver, gracious in victory and defeat, Nour El Sherbini, who hugged her after their match in Gouna, when Nour lost to Amina.
A Family Project
The Orfi story is not one of blind parental pressure, as I believed before getting to know them, but of partnership and adaptability.
While Mohamed is ever-present in training, Rasha the Mum is the logistical backbone. She handles flights, hotels, coaches, food, and school coordination.
“It’s a lot of stress,” she admits. “We never take holidays. The last seaside we saw was in Gouna, and before that a few days at the North Coast house in 2022. If you want your daughter to be a champion, you give up your free time, your social life, your fun.”
A Libyan by birth, she cannot visit her family for long. “I can’t stay ten days with them because I can’t leave my daughters. Once a year my father comes here, and I see him for a few days.”
Mohamed reflects:
“I know we are a bit different. People think ‘why is he coaching his daughter, he doesn’t know anything about squash??’ But her mum and I watch a minimum of 90m of squash every single day. And we see her every day, every minute of her day. We can feel her mood first thing when she wakes up in the morning.
“When we have a match, I can feel during breakfast if she will play well or not. If I can feel she is on a off day, we just forget about squash, completely. We don’t talk about it at all. And I feel if she can win.
“We changed our life for Amina,” Mohamed says. “But she deserved it. The difference is that many parents push even when the kids aren’t good. For us, Amina and Nazly showed commitment first. Then we gave them everything.
Last words…
Between medicine, squash, school, and family, the Orfis made life choices. Sometimes controversial, they stay true to their goals. I for one, believe Amina will be one of the best of the best.
And as Mohamed often reminds Amina:
“In your career, behave like Nour El Sherbini — never afraid of anyone. And when you retire, think like Raneem El Welily: retire at number one, with wisdom.”
