Over the last month, many Muslim squash players across the PSA Tour have been observing the holy month of Ramadan – a month which sees Muslims around the world engage in dawn-to-sunset fasting, prayer and reflection. The breaking of this fast, which is taking place at sundown today, marks the end of this period.
But just how significantly are the rest and recovery clocks of players altered during Ramadan effected, and how do they go about training during this period?
PSA talked to Egyptian quartet Nour El Sherbini, Nouran Gohar, Karim Abdel Gawad and Aly Abou Eleinen about the month of Ramadan and how they compete during their fast.
El Sherbini: “I won the British Open last year during Ramadan, it was very hard. I think in the final I wasn’t [fasting], but throughout the rest of the tournament I was. So that’s a good memory.
“Even if you are not fasting in the day, it’s not only about a certain day that you ate or you drunk, it’s about doing the same process as anybody.
“Your body gets used to this routine and you’re not giving it the same energy or the same food or the same recovery. It’s definitely different when you win a tournament with this situation. It’s hard and I always say it’s not just about the lack of food, not drinking is harder. You want to drink water whilst playing, so it’s hard. Winning a big tournament while on Ramadan is something big for me.”
Egyptian Stars Open Up On Competing at the Highest Level During Ramadan
