Khalid Younis: Coaching and Exhibition Match

[<<] [>>] by David Openshaw
23rd June 2007 (GC)

Khalid Younis (Egypt) three times World Golf Croquet Champion and a trained Sports Coach has just completed a very successful week of coaching in England. The coaching took place at Ripon Spa Hotel Croquet Club and at Roehampton. In all over 50 players were coached including one who travelled specially from Sweden to take part. Khalid coached in both shot making skills and tactics. He proved as expected an excellent coach. He emphasised to everyone the need to practice their skills. All those who took part will remember him saying More Practice More Practice!

He also played an exhibition match against Reg Bamford at Roehampton watched by about 60 spectators. Khalid demonstrated some of his skills in a closely fought 7-5 7-5 win. The seventh hoop in the second game had been contested with a succession of perfect shots. But Khalid won it with a jump shot from the boundary which ran the hoop after bouncing once. And critically at 5-5 he ran hoop eleven from the boundary with Reg a foot in front of the hoop with his next ball.

Thanks to Sam Curry of the Ripon Spa Hotel whose initial enthusiasm for this visit made it possible. Also thanks to Amir Ramsis the President of the Egyptian Federation and member of the WCF Management Committee who accompanied Khalid and helped with some of the coaching.

Khalid returns to Egypt where in August he will coach the eight Egyptian players taking part in the 2nd Women's World Croquet Championship. This will be played in Dublin in early September. Their coaching programme is impressive. All the players will spend four or five evenings per week over a three week period in coaching sessions with Khalid. I imagine Khalid will again be saying More Practice, More practice!