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Egyptian Duo Triumph at HCL Squash India Tour in Ahmedabad Finals

Egyptian players swept the singles titles at the HCL Squash India Tour Ahmedabad 2026. Farida Walid staged a remarkable comeback from two games down to defeat India's Tanvi Khanna in the women's final. In the men's draw, Seif Refaay dominated his all-Egyptian final against Hazem Hossam. The tournament was the fifth leg of the 2025-26 season, with the series concluding next in Delhi.

Key Points: HCL Squash India Tour 2026: Walid, Refaay Win Ahmedabad Titles

  • Farida Walid wins women's title in comeback
  • Seif Refaay claims men's crown
  • Tanvi Khanna finishes as runner-up
  • Ahmedabad is fifth stop on tour
  • All-Egyptian men's final
2 min read

HCL Squash India Tour Ahmedabad 2026: Farida Walid beat Tanvi Khanna to clinch women's title

Egypt's Farida Walid and Seif Refaay clinch the men's and women's singles championships at the HCL Squash India Tour Ahmedabad 2026 event.

"The Egyptian fought back brilliantly to turn the tables on the Indian squash player."

Ahmedabad, January 31

Egypt squash players Farida Walid and Seif Refaay clinched the women's and men's singles championships, respectively, at the HCL Squash India Tour Ahmedabad 2026 in Gujarat on Saturday, according to Olympics.com.

In the women's final, Walid, who is 107th in the rankings, defeated local favourite Tanvi Khanna 3-2 (9-11, 13-15, 11-8, 12-10, 11-5) in a 65-minute-long thrilling final to claim her crown.

Tanvi, who is ranked 81st in the squash rankings, looked for a comfortable win at home after she raced to a 2-0 lead. However, the Egyptian fought back brilliantly to turn the tables on the Indian squash player.

Anahat Singh of India skipped the event to compete in the Squash on Fire Open in the USA, currently underway in Washington. She is already in the semi-finals.

Last year in August, Asian Games medalist Tanvi fell short in the final of the women's singles event of the Squash India Tour Jaipur 2025, ending as a runner-up in a well-fought contest at Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

At Jaipur, she was in a battle with top seed Egypt's Nour Khafagy, and Tanvi lost 3-1 (11-3, 5-11, 11-5, 12-10) despite a spirited effort.

Meanwhile, in the men's final, Seif Refaay beat Hazem Hossam in an all-Egyptian championship match, 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 11-4) in 42 minutes.

India's Suraj Kumar Chand was defeated in the semi-finals by Refaay. Hossam had accounted for the top seed and compatriot Mohamed Gohar in the quarter-finals.

The Ahmedabad leg was the fifth stop on the HCL Squash Tour 2025-26 season. Jaipur, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru held the opening five legs last year. The series concludes with the Delhi leg, scheduled for February 3 to 7.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
What a match! 65 minutes and a full five-setter. Hats off to both players. While disappointed Tanvi lost, it's great exposure playing against such resilient opponents. The Egypt squash system is producing incredible players. Our girls will learn and come back stronger! 💪
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Ananya R
Good to see Ahmedabad hosting such a high-profile event! The tour covering multiple Indian cities is fantastic for growing the sport's popularity. Hopefully, we can develop more depth in the men's draw too. Suraj Kumar Chand reaching semis is a positive sign.
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David E
Interesting to see Anahat Singh chose the US event. Smart move for ranking points perhaps? But missing a home tour event when you're one of the top draws is a bit of a letdown for local fans who wanted to see her.
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Vikram M
The Egyptian dominance in squash is just unreal. They swept both titles here. Our players need more international training camps and consistent competition at this level. HCL is doing great work with this tour, it's exactly what we need.
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Sneha F
Tanvi, keep your head up! Losing from a winning position is tough, but you fought till the end. The fact that you're consistently reaching finals shows your quality. On to Delhi leg! 🇮🇳 #SupportIndianSport

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