How Nouran Gohar overcame great expectations to clinch elusive squash world title


Reem Abulleil
  • English
  • Arabic

After losing three consecutive squash World Championship finals to familiar foe Nour El Sherbini, the question of whether she’d ever be able to clinch that elusive title had been haunting Nouran Gohar.

On Saturday, on a glass court staged at Cairo’s National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation, Gohar finally completed her World Championship quest by besting El Sherbini 3-1 in the title decider.

The Egyptian world No 2 denied her compatriot El Sherbini the chance to secure a record-tying eighth World Championship crown and fell to the ground, covering her face in disbelief, after a gruelling 81-minute final.

“I had reached a point where I was like, ‘I’m OK if I end my career today without winning a World Championship’. So I think it took off some pressure that I was putting on myself,” Gohar told The National in Cairo.

“If you ask me, ‘Do you think you deserve to win a World Championship?’, I would l tell you, ‘I deserve to win more than one World Championship, with everything I’ve been working for’.

“But not thinking about it too much this year, and thinking about the process itself of winning matches, that definitely helped me big time.”

El Sherbini, the world No 1, entered the match with a 22-9 head-to-head record over her challenger, but Gohar had clinched their most recent meeting in the Gouna final earlier this month.

Gohar started the 2023/24 campaign injured and in a protective boot, unable to walk without pain until January.

“I couldn’t walk for six weeks. I was always in pain. So the first thing I wanted is just to be able to walk without any pain,” revealed Gohar.

“So if you would have told me that four months after that I would win the World Championship, I would tell you, ‘You’re just crazy, you don’t even know what you’re talking about’. And it happened. That’s why I got very, very emotional.

“I had a very rough time. But everything paid off in the end and I’m very happy and I’m very grateful ... I think that’s the word, I’m very grateful for everything that happened to me.”

Gohar, 26, had a good feeling going into the championship and somehow managed to treat it like it was any other tournament.

“I think because I lost so many finals, I know where the mistakes were. And I know what I don’t want to do,” she said.

“It’s like I had a bad relationship with the World Championship, and I didn’t want to make the exact same mistakes, I wanted to be smarter than the years before.

  • Nouran Gohar celebrates her win in the final of the women's CIB PSA World Championships. Photo: PSA
    Nouran Gohar celebrates her win in the final of the women's CIB PSA World Championships. Photo: PSA
  • Nouran Gohar clinched her first World Championship title after defeating defending champion Nour El Sherbini. Photo: PSA
    Nouran Gohar clinched her first World Championship title after defeating defending champion Nour El Sherbini. Photo: PSA
  • Nouran Gohar finally won a world title after three consecutive losses in championship finals. Photo: PSA
    Nouran Gohar finally won a world title after three consecutive losses in championship finals. Photo: PSA
  • Nouran Gohar defeated Nour El Sherbini in the title match at Cairo’s National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation. Photo: PSA
    Nouran Gohar defeated Nour El Sherbini in the title match at Cairo’s National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation. Photo: PSA
  • Nouran Gohar after her win. Photo: PSA
    Nouran Gohar after her win. Photo: PSA
  • Nouran Gohar was relieved after her win. Photo: PSA
    Nouran Gohar was relieved after her win. Photo: PSA

“So I think the experience part helped me big time. I had the experience and definitely I was very confident in my physicality and the way I was playing. I felt I was enjoying myself on court big time, and I haven’t felt that in so long.”

One would think that fulfilling a lifelong dream could somehow dampen her appetite moving forward, but Gohar says the first thing she did the morning after winning the final was check the practice sheet for the upcoming British Open, her next event, which starts on June 2.

“The winning feeling is like an addiction and it gives you so much energy, so much positivity, you feel like everything is going great in your life,” said Gohar.

“I think any athlete can relate to that. Obviously, I had the best three weeks of my life, winning three titles back-to-back. It started with a gold event, and then the platinum, and then the World Championship. If I was dreaming of these three weeks, I would never picture it that way to be honest.”

Gohar’s recent decision to add mental coach Haitham Gheita to her team paid rich dividends and she hasn’t lost a match since they started working together, capturing three titles in as many weeks, and picking up 15 match-wins in a row.

“He’s feeling the pressure of that actually,” she said with a laugh. “He’s like, ‘I just want to tell you that someday it’s going to happen, we’re going to lose a match that we shouldn’t lose. We have to be prepared for that, it’s OK, it’s not the end of the world’. So he keeps reminding me of that because you can just think that that’s the norm.

“He told me as well that you have to learn to celebrate the small wins and be happy about that. And I feel like right now I’m even enjoying the simplest things in life. Just driving my car around, having a good coffee. So when you’re in this relaxed mindset, it really helps you to perform very well on court.”

While Gohar was busy winning a World Championship in Cairo, her husband, Ziad Elsissy, a sabre fencer ranked No 2 in the world, was in Madrid helping guide Egypt to its first team silver medal at a World Cup.

Elsissy was in Cairo supporting Gohar from the sidelines up until the round of 16 before he flew to Spain the morning of the quarter-finals for his own competition.

“Obviously, I wanted him to be with me, so I was a bit sad, but I didn’t want to show him that I was sad. So I had some emotions going into the quarter-finals and obviously I was stressed because that was the quarter-final of the World Championship. But you have to adapt, you have to find ways, and again, I matured in that way I think,” said Gohar.

“Now we have time to celebrate. We have like a week off or something, so we can have some time to celebrate together.”

Euro 2020

Group A: Italy, Switzerland, Wales, Turkey 

Group B: Belgium, Russia, Denmark, Finland

Group C: Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, 
Georgia/Kosovo/Belarus/North Macedonia

Group D: England, Croatia, Czech Republic, 
Scotland/Israel/Norway/Serbia

Group E: Spain, Poland, Sweden, 
N.Ireland/Bosnia/Slovakia/Ireland

Group F: Germany, France, Portugal, 
Iceland/Romania/Bulgaria/Hungary

Sreesanth's India bowling career

Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40

ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55

T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12

What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE

Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

The Africa Institute 101

Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction. 

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

MATCH INFO

Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')

Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')

The bio

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France

Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines

Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.

Favourite Author: My father for sure

Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

UAE%20ILT20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMarquee%20players%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMoeen%20Ali%2C%20Andre%20Russell%2C%20Dawid%20Malan%2C%20Wanindu%20Hasiranga%2C%20Sunil%20Narine%2C%20Evin%20Lewis%2C%20Colin%20Munro%2C%20Fabien%20Allen%2C%20Sam%20Billings%2C%20Tom%20Curran%2C%20Alex%20Hales%2C%20Dushmantha%20Chameera%2C%20Shimron%20Hetmyer%2C%20Akeal%20Hosein%2C%20Chris%20Jordan%2C%20Tom%20Banton%2C%20Sandeep%20Lamichhane%2C%20Chris%20Lynn%2C%20Rovman%20Powell%2C%20Bhanuka%20Rajapaksa%2C%20Mujeeb%20Ul%20Rahman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInternational%20players%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ELahiru%20Kumara%2C%20Seekugge%20Prassanna%2C%20Charith%20Asalanka%2C%20Colin%20Ingram%2C%20Paul%20Stirling%2C%20Kennar%20Lewis%2C%20Ali%20Khan%2C%20Brandon%20Glover%2C%20Ravi%20Rampaul%2C%20Raymon%20Reifer%2C%20Isuru%20Udana%2C%20Blessing%20Muzarabani%2C%20Niroshan%20Dickwella%2C%20Hazaratullah%20Zazai%2C%20Frederick%20Klassen%2C%20Sikandar%20Raja%2C%20George%20Munsey%2C%20Dan%20Lawrence%2C%20Dominic%20Drakes%2C%20Jamie%20Overton%2C%20Liam%20Dawson%2C%20David%20Wiese%2C%20Qais%20Ahmed%2C%20Richard%20Gleeson%2C%20James%20Vince%2C%20Noor%20Ahmed%2C%20Rahmanullah%20Gurbaz%2C%20Navin%20Ul%20Haq%2C%20Sherfane%20Rutherford%2C%20Saqib%20Mahmood%2C%20Ben%20Duckett%2C%20Benny%20Howell%2C%20Ruben%20Trumpelman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

The specs

Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Kerb weight: 1580kg

Price: From Dh750k

On sale: via special order

New UK refugee system

 

  • A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
  • Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
  • A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
  • To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
  • Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
  • Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds

Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

Favourite sport: soccer

Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

500 People from Gaza enter France

115 Special programme for artists

25   Evacuation of injured and sick

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

Skoda Superb Specs

Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol

Power: 190hp

Torque: 320Nm

Price: From Dh147,000

Available: Now

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6.5-litre%20V12%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E725hp%20at%207%2C750rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E716Nm%20at%206%2C250rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EQ4%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1%2C650%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
War 2

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana

Rating: 2/5

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Superpower%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESean%20Penn%2C%20Aaron%20Kaufman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: May 22, 2024, 11:00 AM