Egyptians start playing young and top the world rankings in a game that was brought to the country by the British. It is about to become an Olympic sport.

By Cindy Shmerler

Nouran Gohar said she started her athletic life as a swimmer and rhythmic gymnast. She hated both, often sobbing through strict gymnastic training sessions that would last at least five hours.

She played handball, too, becoming good enough to be recruited for the Egyptian junior national team. But the day, at age 9, that she jumped on a squash court, just for fun with her father, fireworks figuratively exploded in the air.

“That day was the beginning of my career,” said Gohar, 27, speaking by phone during the British Open last month in Birmingham, England. “It was the first time I was really having fun in a sport.”

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