Fram Reports
20th October. Message on my Whatsup. Ali Farag. “Fram, you need to be in Cairo on the 30th. My sponsors are organising an evening to celebrate my career. You need to be there.” With an invitation to the event attached.
I literally just landed back home from Tunis, where I moved my brother from one disastrous place to a great one. And to be honest, taking another plane and organising my animals’ care at such short notice seemed just impossible, not to mention the financial side of things.
“Ali, I’m sorry, but I really cannot come”.
“Yes you can, you’ll get a ticket in a few hours”.
Ah.
Could I really refuse to come to my beloved Cairo and see all of my friends?? I used to be sponsored by a Bank that provided me with several return flights per year, so I was travelling to Egypt frequently. Now, I can only come when PSA organises an event.
“OK, Ali, I am very grateful”.
Getting to Cairo
Ok, let’s be honest. I got the ticket in two parts, and the last part was actually the day before I was meant to fly out. But that’s Egypt. It’s just a different perception of time. It took me only 20 years to stop panicking about it, and I now worry slightly…
I couldn’t stay as much as I wanted in Cairo, as I’m covering the Monte-Carlo Classic, so I could only stay a week – my shortest stay in 20 years. But I was able to move from one flatshare I really didn’t like to a great one. And for that, I really need to thank Ali again for giving me the opportunity!
And don’t start me on Charles de Gaulle’s Airport in Paris. Getting from one terminal (Air France) to another (Egyptair) is a punishment nobody deserved.
The venue
Back to the event. The lovely, personalised invitation wasn’t particularly clear about the precise address, and it took a few detours, backups, and breaking a few road codes to get to the place with a London Cab – the only reliable taxi in Cairo, outrageously expensive, but what the heck… I miss the days when they sponsored Amr Mansi’s events…
I am not sure what I was expecting; I imagined it would be in a traditional squash court at the Sodic Compound Club, with seating arranged. A few chats, a few matches, and that’s it.
How wrong could I have been? I was in Gouna!
A magnificent setting, as only Mansi and his iEvents team know how. Situated on one of the Sodic Plazza, in New Cairo – where you have BlackBall – Cairo East, on the way to Gouna.
With a glasscourt. For one night. As you would.
Ali’s name in lights, rotating photographs of Ali on a computerised arch, a full banner with Ali’s achievements in chronological order, with great photos, huge screen to allow people who couldn’t fit around the court to share the moment with huge comfortable fluffy seats, food for all, ice-creams for the kids (sigh), you name it, we had it.
A Fantastic setting for Mr Fantastic. Well, yes, I know, easy one, sue me.
Arriving “early”
As I step in, Nour El Tayeb (if you don’t know she is Ali’s wife, best friend, mother of her two girls, you are so on the wrong site) welcomes me with a “you are early, even of an event like that, you are early, as usual”.
I smiled: the great thing in Egypt is that when you are on time, you are actually early. Reminder, I arrived at Ramy’s wedding at 6.30 as asked. It didn’t start before 10.30, true story. And don’t start me on Abdelgawad’s wedding…
Mona, Ali’s mother, is sorting out all the last details. Of COURSE, all the seat are already labelled: first row, the teams, second row the officials/major partners, third row, the family – I proudly boast I was sitting there next to Mona and Amr, Ali’s dad. I cannot start to express how I’m missing them on the tour.
Arrival of my babies – and others
Ali Farag welcomes me, thanking him for attending. Yes, not only did he pay for the ticket, but he is thanking me for using it.
As Mr Hussein Abaza, former CIB CEO who did so much for squash states, ‘Ali always was and always will be class act‘.
One by one, the Team members arrive. Ramy, On time. WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY LITTLE ONE??
That boy who used to forget to look at the draws while competing and up to his name, bless him, is now a married man: Malak, his gorgeous, adorable, clever wife, is making sure he remembers EVERYTHING he needs to.
Again, I’m smiling. My babies are growing up so fast…
Raneem – Tarek (who is now an Egyptian trader, a desk job, and he is loving it), with their two boys, Shahir & Murad.
Then followed Marwan, Karim D, Mohamed, Nour El Sherbini, AbdelGawad, Karim Darwish, legend Ahmed Barada, Paul Coll – Paul, I really need to have a chat with your hairdresser, mate, this cannot go on…
The last team member arrived a bit later but I didn’t see him.
The Minister of course
An squash event in Egypt is not really an event if our Sports and Youth Minister, Mr Ashraf Sobhy, doesn’t attend. When I saw the chairs in the middle front being moved in a square shape – to welcome the body guards – I knew the Official would not only appear but also watch a bit of the show.
And he arrived, with his cortege of officials, Ali, Karim Darwish, and so many people I didn’t recognise. The Minister stayed a bit at the back with the players as they got ready to play. I think he really appreciate our world. Good man
Matching outfits
Everything had been looked at in details. For example, the players had personalised tshirts, but also sweatshirts, as the nights are getting cooler now, especially in New Cairo, a city built in the desert…
Why do I mention the outfits you might ask. Well, it’s because the designers/company are young kids! With a heck of a lot of followers, bless them…
NSL Format
Spencer Lovejoy, who stepped down from PSA to take over the organisation of the US League – National Squash League – had been invited to implement the League system and ruling to the evening.
Ok, I didn’t get much – as the rules were explained to me by someone who translated from Arabic to English, without understanding much herself what it was about. But rules didn’t really matter, did they? No, of course not.
It was just the chance to glimpse at retired champs (I was about to write old and I change my mind!) being on court again.
More Players & Jahangir
So many players came to enjoy the evening with Ali. And also, a little surprise with a video recording from Jahangir Khan, saluting the career and the personality of Ali.
Ramy happy
The Maverick Artist was very, very nervous to start with. He was very conscious of how people remember him, and was worried how he would be able to “perform”. He only started to relax when he played Ali.
And of course, when he sang one of his special songs, that got Ali very emotional. Everybody enjoyed that moment especially.
Ali ecstatic
If all the players/people on site were having a great time, Ali was like a kid in a toy/sweet shop.
He was smiling, the cat that got the cream, really. He tried not to be emotional, yeah right, and if he started the evening with notes and a stand to put them on, he soon forgot about the notes, and thanked every single person that helped him become the incredible champion he is, from his memory alone.
I think the evening went in a flash for him. But having everybody (or nearly) he loved, respected, in the stand, sharing that moment with him, will stay with the birth of his girls, one of the very special moments of his young life.
Le mot de la fin
I cannot explain/express how touched, grateful, humbled, and amazed I was to be part of it all.
Everybody who is anybody in Egyptian Squash was there to celebrate Ali’s career. And little me, old and outdated with my long reports and in-depth analysis of a sport that seems to only want short clips and Instagram posts, I felt that maybe, maybe, it was not all for nothing, that someone, somewhere, remembered those past 20 years dedicated to squash.
Merci, Ali. Juste merci mon ami.
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