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The HARROW Interviews:    
 #3: Raneem El Welily

How did you get in to squash?

My parents were choosing between squash and tennis for my brother. Since Alexandria is a rainy city in the winter and the summers are really hot, they thought outdoors tennis would be really difficult.

At the same time in squash, the under 19 Egyptian junior team had just won the World Teams event, and so my parents decided squash it is.

My brother started and here I am going back and forth with him watching him all the time. Of course a Racquet ended up in my hand, my brother's coach (Ahmed Abdallah) took me on court once, and that was it!! I never left the court!!

Did you play any other sports growing up?

The idea of Gymnastics was a nightmare, without even trying it, all my mom needed to do is say the word "gymnastics" and I'd break into tears. I mean come on!!! Girls wearing swimsuits out of the water??? Why???

Tried swimming, went to swimming summer school at my club (again following my brothers footsteps). At the end of the summer season, they would have a day filled with swimming competitions for all the levels.

They do that as a celebration and give everyone a certificate, a medal was given to those who finished in 1st, 2nd and 3rd places.

While my brother came in second place in the 50 meter race. I came in last place in probably the 20 meter race, I remember the coach coming to help me finish the last 10 meters, I don't think I would have ever made it to that finish line without him.

Why did you decide that you wanted to make Squash your profession?

I loved it, I love being on court, it's the place I feel the most comfortable.

You attended a German International School. How does that education compare to the other international schools? Was it more intense or on the same level?

The German education system in Egypt compared to other education systems, even though it's very difficult, is really good, I know that now when I look back of course, at the time though I didn’t see it that way at all :D

One thing they take really seriously is discipline. Discipline comes on top of any of their lists. To all my teachers missing just ONE day cause I had to be at some tournament, meant I would miss out on a lot of very important stuff and maybe even fail the class. So imagine me missing 20 days, it drove them nuts.

It wasn't until I won the world junior open, which was only 1 year away from graduation, that they understood that I'm trying to take squash seriously.

Most of our teachers were german, but the teaching system is what makes the German school different from any other school in Egypt. They taught us how to think outside the box, how to be independent and always taught us to go beyond the task and beyond the books.

If they were to choose between building our characters or teaching us all the words in all the books of all the world, they'd choose our characters.

Do you get a chance to practise your German on your travels on the World Squash tour?

Not so much really, we rarely play any tournaments in Germany, Switzerland or Austria. Two people though have the tolerance to speak some German with me now, since I now struggle to form a sentence, Simon Rösner and Claudia Schürmann.

How did you get involved in with Harrow?

Back in 2004 Omar El Borolossy was Harrow's distributor in Egypt and he introduced me to Harrow's Racquets and got me a contract.

A year later I met the famous Mark Hayden one of the most respectable and exciting people that I have ever met, and since then it's been Harrow and only Harrow for me.


You have been a long standing member of Team Harrow.
What has been the best part of being with them?

Well like I said meeting Mark Hayden is what started this bond. Mark would make anything work, to him nothing is impossible and everything is doable ANYWHERE in the world.

The Harrow Sports Team is all about ambition, creativity and attention to all the very small details. And everyone is always so cheerful and excited.

Being part of team harrow is all about care, respect and endless support.

And finally,
if you could change one thing in the sport, what would it be?

I'd stop worrying about being an Olympic sport.