Egypt's Mohamed El-Shorbagy, the world number one, is bidding to lift his first ever world squash title when he takes part in the 2015 World Squash Championships that kick off on 15 November at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Washington.

 

The top seed El-Shorbagy has failed to lift the World Championship title as he lost out to fellow Egyptian Ramy Ashour in both the 2012 and 2014 finals. 

 

"The World Championship is the only big title I haven’t won, so all my focus since the summer has been on that event, and I think everyone knows that lifting that trophy is my main goal," El-Shorbagy was quoted as saying on the tournament's official website.

 

It is the biggest title in the sport. "If you can only win one title, it’s the one that you want, and it’s the one that I've been dreaming of since I was a young kid," the recent Qatar Classic World Series winner added.

 

Meanwhile, the three-time world championship winner Egyptian Ramy Ashour is racing against time to be fit for the tournament as well as defending his title as he heads into the championship with a hamstring problem that has sidelined him since last month's Qatar Classic.

 

"It absolutely feels like deja vu," the world number four Ashour said.

 

"I am doing my best to get back and do what I love most. It’s harder than anyone can imagine. The worlds are now more important than the Olympics to me," the 28-year-old Ashour added.

 

Ashour will face his fellow countryman Mazen Hesham in the first round on Sunday, while El-Shorbagy will meet Mexican Alfredo Avila in the same round on Sunday.

 

The 2015 World Championship title is expected to stay in Egypt, who have five of the world's top 10 players, and 14 of the top 50, including world number one Mohamed El-Shorbagy and the defending world champion Ramy Ashour.

 

Along with El-Shorbagy and Ashour, 11 players will represent Egypt at this year's World Championship- Omar Mosaad, Tarek Momen, Marwan Elshorbagy, Karim Abdel Gawad, Fares Dessouki, Mazen Hesham, Ali Farag, Mohamed Abouelghar, Omar Abdel Meguid, Zahed Mohamed and Karim Ali Fathi.

 

The 2015 World Championships start on 13 November with the first qualifying round. The tournament will finish on the 22nd of the same month.

 

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