Meysan Launches a new Initiative to Sponsor Talented Junior Squash Players in Partnership with Leading Squash Academies in Cairo and Dubai

Dubai/Cairo— Meysan, a leading law firm in the Middle East, announced that it has entered into a strategic alliance with Shoukry Squash Academy in Egypt and Maqbool Squash in the United Arab Emirates to develop MeysanElite, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at nurturing young squash talents across the Arab world.

Meysan is already a prominent corporate presence in the squash world, sponsoring a number of professional players, including Nada Abbas (HWR 12) and Moustafa Elsirty (HWR 22), as well as sponsoring the Barcelona Global Squash (BGS), an internationally acclaimed squash academy led by Victor Montserrat which includes players such as Iker Pajares (HWR 15) and Velavan Senthikumar (HWR 43).

The MeysanElite initiative is aimed at identifying and honing the talents of junior players and providing them with exposure to international competition.  Sponsored junior players will receive intensive technical training through two of the most prestigious squash academies in the region: the Shoukry Squash Academy led by Andrew Shoukry in Cairo and the Maqbool Squash led by Adil Maqbool in Dubai. Both academies have a rich history of producing world-class players and fostering a culture of excellence in the sport, with Shoukry lauding among its current junior players Nadien El Hamamy (GU19 runner up in the British Junior Open) and Anas Malek (BU11 winner in the British Junior Open), and Maqbool counting Rohan Roy (#7 BU17 in Europe, and previously #1 BU15 in Europe).  In addition, players from both Cairo and Dubai will travel as a team to select international tournaments.

“Squash is an incredibly popular sport across the Middle East and has the second largest viewership of any sport in Egypt, behind football,” said Bader El-Jeaan, Meysan’s Managing Partner.  “Families see the successes of homegrown talents such as Ali Farag (World No 1) and Youssef Ibrahim (who were able to translate their skills in order to not only further their education through admission at Ivy League colleges but also further their squash at the highest international levels, and they want the same for their own children. As a result, Egypt alone has thousands of kids who train intensely for admission to their national team in order to get international exposure and recognition, particularly in light of the premier of squash in the 2028 Summer Olympics.  Of course, the vast majority of these kids are not selected, and their families may not have the resources to travel.  Therefore, despite having amazing abilities and commitment, these kids are deprived of the opportunity to gain the international recognition and exposure they deserve.  With MeysanElite, we hope to make their dreams a reality.”

According to Andrew Shoukry, who served as the head coach of the Egypt men’s and women’s national teams that dominated the 2024 World Junior Team Championships in Houston, “Egypt has an incredibly deep bench of junior talent.  For every junior talent who is selected to be on the national team, we have hundreds of junior players who are disappointed but who can easily thrive at the international level.  The MeysanElite initiative gives us the opportunity not only to identify these talents, but also to train as a team with other MeysanElite players in Dubai and hopefully elsewhere in the future in order to raise the
standard of performance for all players.” Adil Maqbool—himself not only an accomplished professional player (HWR 66) but a squash prodigy who, under the tutelage of his father, the renowned coach Khawaja Maqbool, was ranked no 1 in Europe in the BU13, BU15 and BU17 categories and no 1 Men’s in the UAE from the years 2003 to 2021—added, “The combination of Shoukry Squash Academy and Maqbool Squash brings together two of the most recognizable academies in the Middle East
that share a similar mindset, values and mission.  What distinguishes our two academies is that we measure our success not on the number of players that we serve, but on the success of our players.  In order to ensure that our players receive the proper technical training, attention and focus, we limit the number of players whom we accept to those whom we believe will have the utmost dedication and discipline in order to achieve success.  As a result, although our numbers may be smaller compared to our competitors in Cairo and Dubai, our successes are far more pronounced and noticeable.  I have no doubts that in a
very short period, the MeysanElite team will be a prominent force on the international junior circuits.”

About Meysan:

Meysan is an innovative and ambitious international law firm, bringing together leading legal experts from the Middle East and the UK to serve clients across these regions and beyond.
With a proven track record of success at the highest level, the firm has established unparalleled local and global networks and a strong reputation for seamless collaboration. Meysan’s heritage and experience command attention, while its deep insight and forward-thinking approach ensures continued engagement and trust from clients and peers alike.

About Shoukry Squash Academy:

Founded by Andrew Shoukry, a renowned coach and former professional player, the academy has been a driving force in squash development in Egypt. Originally established in New York in 2017 before relocating to Egypt in 2020, the academy has trained British Open champions and PSA-ranked players. Andrew’s expertise and commitment to the sport have played a pivotal role in shaping top-tier athletes, and he will lead as Head Coach for the upcoming Meysan Elite Squash Academy camps.

About Maqbool Squash:

With a presence of over three decades in the UAE, founded by Maqbool Khawaja, UAE’s most decorated squash coach and now led by Adil Maqbool, a former professional player turned high performance coach with a proven track record of developing junior talent, Maqbool Squash has become a hub for squash excellence in the UAE. Adil will also take on the role of head coach for upcoming Meysan Elite camps, bringing his wealth of experience to the program.