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Abdullah Al-Mezayen:
Promise of a Kuwaiti World Squash Champion |
by Khalid Quessem
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9th March 2005:
Sheikha Al Saad Kuwait
Open, Round One
David Palmer bt Abdullah
Al-Mezayen
11/9, 11/6, 11/5 |
 "He
had some great shots…
He should join the PSA tour, as he can
only get better at this young age … he shows great promise."
David
Palmer
Kuwait Open Champion |
 "Look
at that move he just did……I know for a fact that only about 5
players on the entire professional tour can make that shot
with that much ease!"
Amir Wagih
Kuwait National Coach
the Coach's view |
 I know, it was a lot to ask from the young boy… Here he was, on the
glass court, in front of the “who's who” of Kuwait, his family and
friends, filmed, photographed, the noise, the expectations…
But he did pretty well, the schoolboy did.
Framboise
Match Report
Kuwaiti
Qualifiers |
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"Nobody expected him to beat his illustrious opponent but for those
of us in the professional game, we wanted to see how he handled
the situation and playing on the all glass court.
 "He was naturally fast, has good racket skills,
performed very well when you consider the pressure he was under, and when I spoke to him he came over as a very level headed
young man.
"It was clear that Abdullah has a talent that
if nurtured could see him climbing the PSA ranking lists."
Robert S Edwards
The Voice of Squash ...
I'm impressed |
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Khalid Quessem...
A squashsite fan, I met during the
last tournament...
 A
young man approached me at the club to let me know how he enjoyed the
squashsite and in particular my articles.
A man of good taste, obviously…
But he also had his camera around his neck. So I asked him if he could
send his photos to Steve… You know me, I always want more photos, I think
they are the key to a good layout.
And he kept his word, sent the photos as soon as he arrived home, and I’m
glad to see them on the reports…
And now we have this beautiful report on a rising star from Kuwait.
Thank you Khalid… |
Interviewed for Kuwait TV
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Impressive List
Muzayen’s list of accomplishments is already
impressive, and it should continue to grow given the right support
and coaching.
Coming into the PSA rankings in February of 2005 at a position of
299, Abdullah has remarkably jumped 210 positions in a four month
span. This is considered phenomenal advancement in Squash Rankings,
as the June 2005 PSA rankings have Abdulla seeded at 90.
This is by
far the highest rank any Squash Player from Kuwait has ever
attained. A point to note is that Abdulla has only participated in
PSA sanctioned events held in Kuwait and the GCC. If the young man
is given opportunities to travel around the world following the PSA
tour, his chances for advancement in the ranks of professional
squash will be exponentially increased.
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The Future ...
Abdullah’s future plans are simple: To break into the top 50 players
within the next 12 months.
Any long-term plans for Abdullah are built on this short-term goal.
With the right support, financially and morally, there is no reason
that Kuwait’s Muzayen cannot be considered a top 10 contender in the
world of Squash in the coming years. |
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A new star for Kuwait
by Khalid Quessem
Since its introduction in the 1960’s, Squash has always been a
popular and respected sport in Kuwait. This is evident in Kuwait’s
high ratio per capita of squash courts (310 Official Squash Courts),
as well as the number of players registered in the Kuwait Squash
Federation.
 As
a result of such an interest in the sport, Kuwait has always been
the uncontested frontrunner in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), and a respected contender in
the Asian region. But now, with the presence of a promising young
Kuwaiti Squash player named Abdullah Al-Muzayen, Kuwait may
now look forward to putting its mark on the Squash World on an
international professional level.
Abdullah is considered by many squash connoisseurs to be the best
squash player to come out of Kuwait and has achieved such a level at
the tender age of 16. Many squash professionals that have been
exposed to Abdullah’s creativity, intelligence and flair on the
court will admit that players like Abdullah come only once in a
squash program's life cycle.
Abdulla currently dominates the GCC, and is a contender for next
year's under 19 Asian Singles Championship, having beaten the Asian
under 19 singles Champion, Atlas Khan in the
2005 Teams event - where
Kuwait placed 2nd.
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The Coach's View
 Abdullah’s
first Squash experience came at the age of 11, where he was taken
under the wing of the Salmiya Club’s coach at the time. At the time
Abdulla showed much promise in comparison to his young teammates,
but it was not until the Summer of 2003 that Abdullah’s game was
taken to another level. Under the watchful eye of Kuwait National
Team Coach Amir Wagih, Abdullah has become nothing short of a
world class player.
“He is at a stage in his game where he absolutely needs to play more
matches outside of Kuwait, on the tour…where it counts in the
professional world of Squash”, explained Coach Amir. “He will win
points, gain experience, pick up sponsors and shoot through the
rankings. He is only 16, and has great potential for being a top ten
player (in the world) by the age of 25 if he keeps up this pace and
this level of commitment. He needs to be trained on how to be a
Professional Squash player. He needs to be coached on strategy, on
and off the court – what to eat, how to exercise, how to heal, and
how to sustain a mental advantage in a tournament environment.”
The Salmiya Club and the Kuwait Squash Federation have done a
tremendous job fostering and nurturing Abdullah’s raw talent; now it
is all up to him to make use of his talent and gift.
“A player like Abdullah comes along once every 20 years in a coach’s
life. Look at that move he just did ...
I know for a fact that only
about 5 players on the entire professional tour can make that shot
with that much ease!”, whispered coach Amir to me as we both watched
Abdulla in a training session execute a half-volley-cross-court
drop-shot spin. Just explaining the shot in words is exhausting!! |
Silky Skills
Abdullah, however, is a young man of very few words. His character
is best exhibited where he feels most comfortable, on the squash
court. While he may not express his creativity and aggressiveness in
his everyday life, on court he is a confident, powerful and very
aggressive opponent who makes sure to exhibit his racquet skills and
wizardry combined with outstanding endurance and deception. He moves
around the court swiftly and gracefully, taking the ball early,
playing a mature combination of defence and attack tactics to beat
his opponents. |
I'm Impressed
by Robert Edwards
One of the many reasons that
Sheikha Fadia Al-Sabah has for Presiding over the Management
Committee of the Sheikha Al-Saad Kuwait Squash Open is to promote
the talents of the national Kuwaiti players. Like her I enjoy
seeing a country using their national tournament to raise the
standards of their own players.
When we began to organise the 2005 event one of the first things
that Adel Al Ghareeb, the Tournament Director and Promoter did was
to ask me to include Abdullah Amezayen in the main draw as a
wildcard, as well as 4 other Kuwaiti players into the
Qualification event.
What an opportunity for them all - but in particular Abdullah.
Adel told me that he considered Abdullah to be a very gifted
player who needs time on the PSA tour to raise his standards and
to complete his apprenticeship. With him accepted as the Wildcard
we then had to wait for PSA to do the draw and see who he would
play.
What a draw he had - World No. 3 David Palmer, the man I call the
Marine. They don't come any tougher or more professional.
Consider the enormity of his task - he was to play the opening
match in front of a capacity crowd that included Sheikha Fadia Al
- Sabah, President of the Organising Committee - Sheikh Fahad Al-Jaber
Al-Sabah - Chairman of the Public Authority for Youth and Sports
(PAYS) other dignitaries included Labor Faisal Mohammed Al -
Hajji and representatives of PSA - WISPA & the WSF.
Green Island hosted a glittering show headed by Nabil Sho'al, the
famous Kuwaiti singer, preceded the opening match and then I began
his presentation ... ... thunderous applause and then he appeared,
following his National Flag. Surely the biggest moment in his
sporting life. It seemed that all of Kuwait were there to wish him
good luck.
Nobody expected him to beat his illustrious opponent but for those
of us in the professional game, we wanted to see how he handled
the situation and playing on the all glass court.
The final score
was 11/9 11/6 11/5 to David but in those 23 minutes of fast moving
squash it was clear that Abdullah has a talent that if nurtured
could see him climbing the PSA ranking lists.
He was naturally fast and has good racket skills. He performed
very well when you consider the pressure he was under.
Certainly, when I spoke to him he came over as a very level headed
young man.
Later that night I asked David what he thought of Abdullah - and
although I do not remember the exact words, he was complimentary
about his performance.
In 2006 we will return to Kuwait and it will be interesting to see
how much Abdullah has built on his magical night. Certainly he has
the gifts - now we will see if he has the commitment.
Personally I
would like to see him repay Sheikha Faddhia in the best way
possible for her support ... and that is to continue to work and
improve as a Kuwaiti on the PSA World Tour.
Robert S. Edwards
The Voice of Squash |
"There can be no greater tribute
to the Late Sheikha Al Saad than
to see young Kuwaiti squash players benefiting from the tournament
that is played in honour of her memory.
"She loved the game and she
loved Kuwait - a perfect combination - wherever she is I
am sure
that she is smiling." |
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BACK IN MARCH 2005...
THE TOURNAMENT WAS RAGING... |
ABDULLAH: HIS FIRST STEPS…
Framboise reports from Green Island
David Palmer (Aus) bt Abdullah Almezayen (Kuw)
11/9, 11/6, 11/5
I know, it was a lot to ask from the young boy… Here he was, on the
glass court, in front of the “who's who” of Kuwait, his family and
friends, filmed, photographed, the noise, the expectations…
But he did pretty well, the schoolboy did. He didn’t lose his head, he
played some great rallies, and won some well deserved points against
“the Marine of Squash” David Palmer, as Robert Edwards introduced
him …
The first game was the closest, 11/9, and even if it didn’t last that
long, it was a pretty intense game, with Abdullah placing some good
backhand volley drop shots (he is left-handed by the way). In the
second, the boy was still very feisty, but in the third, quite
logically, his energy had run out.
Still he enjoyed his moment, and was quite calm headed about his future
in squash.
“I’m not sure what I will do when I’m older,” he said to me, “I love
squash very much, but we will see how my results are going, and I will
trust my coach, Amir Wagih, to decide if I’m good enough to try and get
on the professional circuit. My results will dictate the future…”
But a pretty good opening to the official tournament, and a memory that
Abdullah Mezayen will remember for the years to come.
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"It's never easy to play that kind of
match, as you don't have a clue what to expect, it's hard to prepare
for it really. Sometimes, you start to take it easy, you start to
relax, and you can get some surprises... But Abdullah played very
well, in particular in the first game, he played some great shots...
"I was surprised by the temperature on the court really. Sitting
around the court, I thought it was quite chilly, but in there, it's
quite warm.
"So, it takes a bit of time to get used to everything
really, the noise, the court, the settings, the lights. So, it's
good that I got to play today, it gives me a chance to get used to
the conditions..."
David Palmer |
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A Great Day for
Kuwaiti Squash
MEN'S Qualifying Round One:
Peter Barker (Eng) bt Nassar B Ali-Ramzi (Kuw) 11/7,
11/3, 11/3 (23m)
Mansoor Zaman (Pak) bt Mohammed Hajeyah (Kuw) 11/7,
10/11(2-4), 11/5, 11/5 (41m)
Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned) bt Bader Al Hussaini (Kuw) 11/8, 11/4, 7/11, 1/11, 11/10(4-2) (41m)
Wael El Hindi (Egy) bt Ali Al Ramzi (Kuw) 11/6, 8/11, 11/5, 11/5 (35m) |
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THE KUWAIT PLAYERS:
AN EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE
Framboise reports from Kuwait City
I tried to watch the four Kuwait players in particular, as there was a
good chance that I wouldn’t see them again in the next round.
Well, Amir Wagih, an Egyptian who has been Kuwait National Coach
for a few years now, can be proud of his players. They all performed
pretty well and honoured their country by playing superb, disputed and
squeaky clean squash… |
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Good show from Nasser
Don’t get fooled by the score. This was a pretty well-contested match,
with long rallies. Peter Barker kept his time pushing his opponent
to the back, playing relentless lengths and crosscourts.
Nassar Al Ramzi fought well, but his legs let him down after the
first game. Shame, as you feel that he is extremely motivated and a good
fighter. Maybe a bit more following up after his drop shots, but overall,
a good performance…
Peter Barker bt Nassar B Ali-Ramzi
11/7,
11/3, 11/3 (23m) |
 "I
played well in the first, then I got tired, Peter was playing at a
very fast pace, he is very quick. I don't think I should have played
so many drop shots. I need to improve my stamina.
"I played the best I could today, and I don't think I could have
done better. I just need to go back and work hard on my fitness."
Nassar B Ali-Ramzi |
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 "The
game was as hard as I needed it to be. The court floors are very hard, and
my ankles and calves were aching, so I was happy to finish the match in
three. It's a perfect score, I didn't want to work too hard on the
court..."
Peter Barker
PETER'S DIARY |
Nasser assisted by Kuwait National Coach Amir Wagih |
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MATCH OF THE DAY:
LJ Anjema v Bader Al Hussaini
Great suspense,
great crowd support, never any bad atmosphere.
Great respect between the players, and a fantastic finish. |
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 "The
first two games were very quick. I got a bad start, and could never
recover. Before I knew it, the game was over! I haven’t played many
matches for a while.
"So, I was a little nervous, but once I was able to
play my shots with more confidence, I started winning. I was able to play
my shots, and it worked. Normally, I’m what they call “a defence player”.
But today, I changed my game, and attacked the ball a lot in the last
three games. And it worked.
"LJ is a top player, he is so polite, so respectful of me on the court. He
is a very nice man, and he plays beautifully.
"I’m 21, I have been a PSA member for a year now. I train with Amir, our
National coach. My goal is to become a top 50 player. But you know, in
Kuwait, you study first, and the squash always comes second. I’m studying
for a diploma (Baccalaureos) in accounting.
"My father didn’t come today to watch me play, and I’m not too unhappy
about it, because already, I’m very nervous naturally, I get all exited.
And my father is the same, so if he had come, I would have been so
nervous…"
Bader Al
Hussaini |
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What a finish!
Already, it was a very pleasant match throughout, with LJ taking the first
two games, and maybe relaxing a bit (he is just getting over a bad flu…),
allowing his opponent to play a good attacking game, in conjunction with
good length and some lethal volley drops shots.
But the last game was just outstanding. We had it all. A full house, great
suspense, 4/4, 5/5, 9/9, 10/10, 11/11.
There, a great disputed, seesaw rally. The ball ends in the top right
corner, Bader playing the last counter attack on himself. LJ has now match
ball.
Nope. As he picks up the ball, the young Hollander encourages himself with
a loud “come one” that started with “for f… sake”.
Oups.
The Ref couldn’t do anything other than to give a conduct stroke.
“What are you doing to me?” shouted LJ. “This is match ball”. “I don’t
care what ball it is”, replied the ref. “It’s still a conduct stroke”.
So, reverse situation! Instead of LJ having a match ball (a match point,
as they say over here), it was the Kuwaiti who had it! But a few
extraordinary rallies later, Bader could only shake his opponent’s hand
and accept defeat.
It was a superb performance from Al Hussaini, who lost his nerves a little
at crucial times, and made some unforced errors, but who played
magnificently, with great determination. A few more matches like this will
give him the needed experience, and he could get some pretty good results…
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 "First
of all, I want to give Bader a lot of credit, he played beautifully well
today. I was a bit slow, still a bit tired from the flight (arrived
yesterday morning). But especially, I had a bad flu in New York, and I'm
just getting over it now. So I haven’t played at all for a week, this was
the first time I touched a racket since the ToC. I was very slow, and he
took full advantage of it.
"I
was so stunned to get a conduct stroke at 11/11 in the fifth. And it’s my
fault, I should not have said the F word, but it was to encourage myself,
I was not unhappy or angry, I was just encouraging myself “Oh for f… sake,
COME ON”, I said, and I had just won a very long rally, that had given me
match point, and suddenly, I was match ball against me!
"Thank God I kept
my calm… I come from Holland you know, and in Holland, EVERYTHING is
legal…!
"So, I just hope that tomorrow is going to be a better day. Sometimes, you
have a horrible start, and then, the next day, you play very well.
"Let’s
hope that this will be one of those days…"
Laurens Jan
Anjema |
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Wael El Hindi v Ali Alramzi
One of those matches where a young wolf is giving it all in front of his
people… Wael El Hindi, not at the top of his form, made a few tins,
a few unforced errors. His young opponent Ali Alramzi had all to
gain, and was playing with all guns blazing, attacking every shot, and
quite rightly, got game balls in the second 10/6. Wael saved two, but lost
the game 11/8 on a superb volley drop from his opponent.
The last two games lasted 15 minutes, and Wael got through them somehow.
“Where was your brain today”, I asked him at the end of the game, as it
was obvious that the man was not all there. “Back home” he replied…
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 "I’ve
got a bad flu that I picked up in New York, like LJ. I can’t think, I
can’t breathe. It’s very difficult to stay focused.
"Ali is a young player, he’s got nothing to lose, he can go for his shots,
the pressure was not on him, but on me. I was the one that could look bad
on court…"
Wael El Hindi |
Wael El Hindi bt Ali Al Ramzi
11/6, 8/11, 11/5, 11/5 (35m)
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Abdullah Al-Mezayen |
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