Mahmoud El Karim

HALLof FAME Richard Eaton remembers MAHMOUD EL KARIM To have seen Mahmoud el Karim wearing long cream flannels, playing in a style once described as so exquisitely elegant that “it was beneath his dignity to hurry” and afterwards drawing expressively upon a cigarette, it might seem as though he remains a legend only because he shows just how far squash has moved on. In fact, the tall and sociable Egyptian had a If Karim’s style was easy on the eye, his galvanising effect on the game during the chat was often just as pleasing to the ear, “If I had to play early post-war era, after which his longer- qualities which together created a chemistry term influence upon compatriots who that evolved into a part-myth, part-legend the eternal match, eventually created the most dominant of magical Egyptian strokemakers, some- squash nation of all time is also significant. thing embodied a decade later by Abou in heaven or hell, Taleb, then in the 70s and 80s by the likes Karim’s career spanned changes in which I would play Karim, of Mohamed Asran and Ahmed Safwat, squash began to make its first evolutionary and more recently and most impressively Roy McKelvie leap. When he won the British Open for the just for fun.” by Amr Shabana and Ramy Ashour. first time in 1947, beating England’s Jim Dear, it was the last time the title was As the squash-writing legend Rex decided by challenge matches. Bellamy once wrote: “Karim was post-war austerity era, when life was accurate and had a beautiful precision. neither comfortable nor easy. He also When he won it the following year, he beat remained grateful for his treatment by And he had a similar beautiful touch to Dear again, but only after succeeding in British writers. “They gave me confidence,” the kind of draw which we would recognise that which so many Egyptian players he said. “Without them there would have today. There were 16 players and Karim of the modern era have possessed. It been no Karim.” had to win four matches. This required was almost as if it were a trait to which a very different kind of mentality and he gave birth and propagated.” In the early years of his fame he enjoyed stamina. the patronage of King Farouk and was In fact, there have been many fine players later on good terms with President Nasser, Karim was different too because, unlike from Egypt characterised more by artisan always being greeted as a national hero compatriot and predecessor Amr Bey, qualities, Gamal Awad, Karim Darwish whenever he returned to Egypt. he was neither wealthy nor well-to-do, and Mohamed ElShorbagy among them. Thus, he retained great affection for his but came from a poor family. He thus But the proportion of dazzlingly creative home country, returning for good at the symbol-ised some of the socio-economic Egyptian players has still remained wonder- age of 72 to become director of squash changes which were seeping into the fully high. sport. of the Gezira Club, the place where for When Karim’s graceful destructiveness him it all started. After switching from tennis to squash at the was superseded in 1951 by Hashim Khan’s He died 11 years later, close to the turn Gezira Sporting Club in Cairo, he started an breathless hitting and rubber-screeching of the millennium, and words appropriate era in which it could no longer be assumed speed, he decamped to North America, for an epitaph were uttered by Roy that players from England, the country where he won titles with the harder ball McKelvie, a distinguished player turned which created the game, would always too, eventually moving to live in Montreal author and journalist. “Karim was a joy, make serious challenges for the British for more than a quarter of a century, during the most beautiful stroke player, with a Open title. After Dear’s defeat it was not which he had considerable influence on the range of shots beyond anybody else,” he until 1967 that an Anglo-Irishman, Jonah spread of the game’s international version. Barrington, won it and not until 2002 that said. “If I had to play the eternal match, Peter Nicol, an Anglo-Scot representing Karim still remained fond of Britain all his in heaven or hell, I would play Karim, just England, won it. life, despite having spent time here in the for fun.” SQUASHPLAYER.CO.UK 21.

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