Al Jazeera World

This is the story of fourteen cargo ships accidentally caught up in the June 1967 Arab-Israeli war, and stuck in the Suez Canal while it remained closed for eight years.

While their crews managed to maintain them, their decks became so covered in sand over time that they gradually merged with the landscape and were nicknamed "The Yellow Fleet". This film tells this unusual story through the eyes of the crews who manned the ships, on and off, for eight years.

"I had an experience which I will never ever forget. I was 19 years old at the time. And it was quite a surprise to find myself right in the middle of a war, at the front seat, literally," Peter Richmond, who was on board the Agapenor in 1967, tells Al Jazeera.

When the guns fell silent at the end of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, Egypt closed the Suez Canal and while passenger ships were allowed to complete their journeys, cargo vessels were forced to remain, drop anchor and simply wait.

Geopolitics and war brought together cargo vessels from the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Sweden, France, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and the United States into an accidental, international flotilla assembled in a wide section of the Suez Canal known as the Great Bitter Lake. The crews realised that their best option would be to create a spirit of international cooperation, in stark contrast to events in the wider world. So they established a club, the Great Bitter Lake Association, whose remit was to inject some much-needed humour into a difficult situation.

The crews began to devise ingenious ways to make life on board less uncomfortable and established their own unofficial, mini-country, with its own traditions, sporting competitions, and even postage stamps.

They developed a barter system between ships, trading cargos, meat for fruit and prawns for eggs. They even staged their own Olympic Games.

"The idea came mainly from everyone, driven by our desire to do something. We heard about the Olympics so decided we'd do the same on our ships. We had games like weightlifting, high jump, sailing and football. There were prizes and medals for the winners. I kept a silver medal I received for a sailing competition," Uwe Carstens, former sailor on the Nordwind, says.

In 1975, the Suez Canal was finally reopened but inertia had caused the engines to seize up and all but two ships had to be towed out of the waterway. Both German vessels started on first try, their turbines turning the propellers and setting them on course for Hamburg. In doing so, they set a record for the longest sea shipping voyage in history: Eight years, 3 months and 5 days.

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This is the story of fourteen cargo ships accidentally caught up in the June 1967 Arab-Israeli war, and stuck in the Suez Canal while it remained closed for eight years.

While their crews managed to maintain them, their decks became so covered in sand over time that they gradually merged with the landscape and were nicknamed "The Yellow Fleet". This film tells this unusual story through the eyes of the crews who manned the ships, on and off, for eight years.

"I had an experience which I will never ever forget. I was 19 years old at the time. And it was quite a surprise to find myself right in the middle of a war, at the front seat, literally," Peter Richmond, who was on board the Agapenor in 1967, tells Al Jazeera.

When the guns fell silent at the end of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, Egypt closed the Suez Canal and while passenger ships were allowed to complete their journeys, cargo vessels were forced to remain, drop anchor and simply wait.

Geopolitics and war brought together cargo vessels from the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Sweden, France, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and the United States into an accidental, international flotilla assembled in a wide section of the Suez Canal known as the Great Bitter Lake. The crews realised that their best option would be to create a spirit of international cooperation, in stark contrast to events in the wider world. So they established a club, the Great Bitter Lake Association, whose remit was to inject some much-needed humour into a difficult situation.

The crews began to devise ingenious ways to make life on board less uncomfortable and established their own unofficial, mini-country, with its own traditions, sporting competitions, and even postage stamps.

They developed a barter system between ships, trading cargos, meat for fruit and prawns for eggs. They even staged their own Olympic Games.

"The idea came mainly from everyone, driven by our desire to do something. We heard about the Olympics so decided we'd do the same on our ships. We had games like weightlifting, high jump, sailing and football. There were prizes and medals for the winners. I kept a silver medal I received for a sailing competition," Uwe Carstens, former sailor on the Nordwind, says.

In 1975, the Suez Canal was finally reopened but inertia had caused the engines to seize up and all but two ships had to be towed out of the waterway. Both German vessels started on first try, their turbines turning the propellers and setting them on course for Hamburg. In doing so, they set a record for the longest sea shipping voyage in history: Eight years, 3 months and 5 days.

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He's recognised by many as a symbol of left-wing movements in Latin America.

Evo Morales became Bolivia's first indigenous president after his party, Movement for Socialism, won the 2005 election.

During his amost 14 years in power Bolivia's economy grew at on of the highest rates in Latin America and poverty was almost halved.

For the unity of Bolivia, I withdraw my candidacy. I only ask them to allow us to complete our mandate.

Evo Morales, Bolivia's former president

Taking advantage of his popularity, Morales decided not to complete his first five-year term and called for an early election in 2009. He easily secured a second victory.

Then a new constitution limited presidents to two terms in office.

Morales promised not to stand for re-election in 2014, but he successfully ran for a third term after a court ruled that his first election preceded the new constitution.

The activist-turned-politician then planned for a fourth term in office, but Bolivians rejected his wish during a 2016 referendum - only to have a court rule against that referendum, saying the laws limiting the re-election of the president violated his political rights.

Morales took part in the recent October elections. Results were immediately disputed because of accusations of multiple irregularities.

People across Bolivia protested in the tens of thousands, and the crisis escalated when the Organization of American States (OAS) published a report saying the vote had forged signatures and that there had been data manipulation.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Morales insisted there was no fraud in the October election and denounced the report of OAS, accusing it of being politically motivated.

"I realised that it (the preliminary report) was politically motivated. I instructed the FM to call the OAS secretary-general to suspend the report's publication because it wsa going to create chaos in the country and more people were going to be killed. And that's wat's happening now. The OAS is also part of the military coup. I told then that the preliminary report was goin to bring us more deaths and create more confrontation, but they published it anyways," Morales said.

"I had a lot of trust, or some trust. But now, I don't have any in the OAS. They should be called the Organization of the states of North America, not America.

Morales called for a new election, but it was too late. The military urged him to step down to restore peace and stability.

Morales announced his departure on Twitter writing: "It hurts to leave the country for political reasons, but I will stay in touch ... Soon I will return with more strength and energy."

Morales has been granted asylum in Mexico. But what is his plan moving forward? Will he remain in Mexico, or return to Bolivia?

"One can't stay outside of his own country. I'm used to being alongside the people as a union leader, president, doing work," said Morales, who has accused his opponents of conspiring against his government.

"I miss helping them. I'm looking for legal backing to return to Bolivia, and I am sure, we will be back... I am not afraid. I have the right to return to Bolivia and defend myself and the people of Bolivia ... We will be back and join the fight to strengthen our social forces."

The former president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, talks to Al Jazeera.

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Catalonia is a region in the northeast of Spain that is partially autonomous, but in recent years, independence sentiments have risen among Catalans.

Two years ago, Carles Puigdemont, the former leader of the regional government, challenged Madrid and called for a referendum. The unofficial referendum went ahead on October 1, 2017, and the conflict escalated.

There was a violent police crackdown with batons and rubber bullets used against voters. But when the ballots were counted Puigdemont claimed an overwhelming victory for secession. Puigdemont announced Catalonia's independence from Spain on October 27, 2017, but the declaration was suspended just eight seconds later, and instead he invited Madrid for dialogue.

The invitation was not accepted as Madrid considered the referendum illegal and the then-Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy invoked constitutional powers and fired Puigdemont and his Cabinet.

The deposed Catalan president fled to Belgium. Members of his government were taken into custody, including Puigdemont's number two, Oriol Junqueras. He was sentenced to 13 years for sedition and misuse of public funds.

In May 2018, Catalonia's parliament elected Quim Torra, a close ally of Puigdemont, as the new Catalan president.

Torra has continued with the pro-independence agenda. The Spanish electoral authority demanded he take down all separatist symbols from the government's headquarters. He did so but only after a court deadline had expired. Torra is now expected to be tried for disobedience on November 18.

While most of the pro-independence protests have been non-violent, there were scenes of violence following the sentencing of the nine Catalan leaders in October which enraged many people. Torra has been criticised for being slow in condemning violent pro-independence protests, but he says it's just an argument used by the opposition.

"The violence is not compatible with the independence process of Catalonia. It doesn't represent us," Torra tells Al Jazeera.

"The situation now is very complicated ... People are angry because of the sentence against our colleagues ... We have to come back to what is the essence of the conflict of Catalonia. We have to find a political solution for this political issue that the Catalans want to decide for themselves their own future."

Torra says he is trying to talk to Spanish prime minister Sanchez every day to suggest serious negotiations about the future of Catalonia.

"From the Catalan government side, we are going to put on the table what we think could be the solution to the conflict. That is an agreed referendum, internationally validated, in order to give to the Catalan people to say if they want to be independent or not." Torra says. "And we strongly encourage the government of Spain to put their solution on this table of negotiations. That way, negotiations can start ... What is Spain offering to Catalonia?"

While pro-independence protests continue in the region of Catalonia, Spain held a general election last week. The political crisis in Catalonia was one of the focal points for all candidates. Pedro Sanchez's Socialists emerged the winner, but far-right Vox party also made substantial gains.

"This is maybe the worst problem that Spain has now, the rise of fascism in Spain. When you see the results of the general elections ... you see how important Vox is in Spain, but how unimportant Vox is in Catalonia. So who has the problem with Vox? ... We will urge the political parties in Spain to find a solution for this very critical issue," says Torra.

So, what does this all mean for Catalonia on the way forward? And what does the future hold in store for President Torra after his upcoming appearance in court?

"The independence of Catalonia will come. It's something that nobody will stop ... We are going to exercise the right of self-determination again. But we have learned something from the previous year ... The idea is, let's be stronger, let's build this great consensus between all of us, and let's go then with this horizon of exercising our right of self-determination," Torra says.

The president of the regional government of Catalonia, Quim Torra, talks to Al Jazeera.

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Filmmakers: Nasser Farghaly and Hani Bishr

Over decades, millions of people from the Arab world have emigrated - some driven by conflict and persecution, others for economic and family reasons. They have settled in Europe, Australia, the Americas and Africa.

Many of these are students from the Arab world, who have sought opportunities in overseas universities, moves that often become stepping stones to new lives in faraway countries.

Al Jazeera World meets people who have built successful lives away from their Arab homelands while remaining connected to their roots and giving back to their countries of origin.

The Innovator and Tech Entrepreneur

Bachir Halimi left Algeria in 1975 to study computing at the University of Montreal. At the time, computer science was an emerging science and Halimi later found success as an innovative and visionary tech innovator.

Described by many as a serial entrepreneur, Halimi founded three Canadian companies that won recognition within their respective industries for their innovative technology.

"I didn't know anything about this field of study except that it was new and had a future. I knew you had to be very good at mathematics to study in this field and I was not that bad," Halimi says.

In 1980, he launched his first company, which combined his computer skills with his mastery of Arabic, developing an algorithm that allowed computers to work in Arabic. Five years later Microsoft bought his company for its Windows operating system.

He started again, developing a new business that was later acquired by Bell Canada. Halimi currently heads his third company, Speech Mobility, a world leader in advanced telecommunications office solutions.

While Halimi is now a prominent entrepreneur, he also serves as an adviser to the Canadian Red Cross and is also involved in helping North Africans integrate into Canadian society, mentoring a new generation of young entrepreneurs to develop their business and entrepreneurial skills.

The Translator

Muhammad Abdel Haleem became a star pupil while in his native Egypt.

"I was born in a village in the Nile Delta, part of Al Sharqia Governorate. I learned the Quran by heart in the village's religious school which allowed me to join the Zagazig Religious Institute, one of the biggest institutes in Al-Azhar. There I attended primary and secondary school. Later I joined the faculty of science at Cairo University and was ranked first, so I was appointed as an assistant lecturer in the faculty," Abdel Haleem says.

After his appointment at Cairo University, Abdel Haleem moved to study at the University of Cambridge. He has fond memories of his student days in Cambridge, though he struggled at times to adjust to English culture and customs.

"Cambridge and this faculty changed my life on a personal level. Like any student here I had to ride a bike. As an Azhar graduate, I never rode a bicycle in Egypt. Socially, it wasn't appropriate, and I didn't have the money either," Abdel Haleem says.

He later adds: "I remember a funny story when I bought a pen and told my landlord, 'that's for you', as the tradition goes in Egypt. The British man took it seriously and thought I had bought him a pen. He thanked me and the next day, he bought me a new green scarf. That was a funny incident showing the difference in our cultures."

Half a century later, Muhammad Abdel Haleem remains in the United Kingdom. In 1971 he was offered a teaching post at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in the University of London, where he continues to lecture. While at SOAS, he created a new complete English translation of the Quran, a task which took him seven years. He describes the translation as "the biggest achievement" in his life.

Abdel Haleem is a Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of London, and also editor of the Journal of Qur'anic Studies. He is also designated a Hafiz, a Muslim scholar, who has memorised the entire Quran and in 2008 he received the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his services to Arabic culture, literature and to interfaith understanding.

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Filmmakers: Nasser Farghaly and Hani Bishr

Over decades, millions of people from the Arab world have emigrated - some driven by conflict and persecution, others for economic and family reasons. They have settled in Europe, Australia, the Americas and Africa.

Many of these are students from the Arab world, who have sought opportunities in overseas universities, moves that often become stepping stones to new lives in faraway countries.

Al Jazeera World meets people who have built successful lives away from their Arab homelands while remaining connected to their roots and giving back to their countries of origin.

The Innovator and Tech Entrepreneur

Bachir Halimi left Algeria in 1975 to study computing at the University of Montreal. At the time, computer science was an emerging science and Halimi later found success as an innovative and visionary tech innovator.

Described by many as a serial entrepreneur, Halimi founded three Canadian companies that won recognition within their respective industries for their innovative technology.

"I didn't know anything about this field of study except that it was new and had a future. I knew you had to be very good at mathematics to study in this field and I was not that bad," Halimi says.

In 1980, he launched his first company, which combined his computer skills with his mastery of Arabic, developing an algorithm that allowed computers to work in Arabic. Five years later Microsoft bought his company for its Windows operating system.

He started again, developing a new business that was later acquired by Bell Canada. Halimi currently heads his third company, Speech Mobility, a world leader in advanced telecommunications office solutions.

While Halimi is now a prominent entrepreneur, he also serves as an adviser to the Canadian Red Cross and is also involved in helping North Africans integrate into Canadian society, mentoring a new generation of young entrepreneurs to develop their business and entrepreneurial skills.

The Translator

Muhammad Abdel Haleem became a star pupil while in his native Egypt.

"I was born in a village in the Nile Delta, part of Al Sharqia Governorate. I learned the Quran by heart in the village's religious school which allowed me to join the Zagazig Religious Institute, one of the biggest institutes in Al-Azhar. There I attended primary and secondary school. Later I joined the faculty of science at Cairo University and was ranked first, so I was appointed as an assistant lecturer in the faculty," Abdel Haleem says.

After his appointment at Cairo University, Abdel Haleem moved to study at the University of Cambridge. He has fond memories of his student days in Cambridge, though he struggled at times to adjust to English culture and customs.

"Cambridge and this faculty changed my life on a personal level. Like any student here I had to ride a bike. As an Azhar graduate, I never rode a bicycle in Egypt. Socially, it wasn't appropriate, and I didn't have the money either," Abdel Haleem says.

He later adds: "I remember a funny story when I bought a pen and told my landlord, 'that's for you', as the tradition goes in Egypt. The British man took it seriously and thought I had bought him a pen. He thanked me and the next day, he bought me a new green scarf. That was a funny incident showing the difference in our cultures."

Half a century later, Muhammad Abdel Haleem remains in the United Kingdom. In 1971 he was offered a teaching post at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in the University of London, where he continues to lecture. While at SOAS, he created a new complete English translation of the Quran, a task which took him seven years. He describes the translation as "the biggest achievement" in his life.

Abdel Haleem is a Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of London, and also editor of the Journal of Qur'anic Studies. He is also designated a Hafiz, a Muslim scholar, who has memorised the entire Quran and in 2008 he received the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his services to Arabic culture, literature and to interfaith understanding.

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On August 6, 1945, a US B-29 bomber dropped the first-ever atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima.

At least 140,000 people were killed in the attack and tens of thousands more died later because of the effects of radiation.

Ever since the end of the World War II, there's been an international consensus and effort to contain the spread of nuclear weapons. The global community has created several organisations and signed treaties to prevent potential nuclear attacks.

"I think today, we are now facing the same situation as if we were the day after the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, because today, still the most crucial political, moral and social challenge is how to stop nuclear explosion from happening on this planet again," the Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) Lassina Zerbo tells Al Jazeera.

As of today, nine countries have admitted to possessing nuclear weapons. But only five - the US, Russia, the UK, France and China - are part of the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which calls on its signatories to open their doors for inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The IAEA is one of the organisations promoting the peaceful use of nuclear technology - while a 1996 treaty, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty banned all nuclear tests for civilian and military purposes.

But there are 12 states which have neither signed nor ratified that treaty. Among them are three with nuclear weapons: North Korea, India, and Pakistan.

With North Korea launching missiles and the growing conflict between India and Pakistan, can the world prevent a nuclear attack?

"When I hear the word 'pushing the button', it frightens me. My biggest hope is that when we get close to any catastrophe, we come to our sense somehow," says Zerbo. "I think I see no way in this civilised world, no way in this 21st century any decent government or decent political leader thinking about pushing the button of the nuclear weapon because they know how devastating that could be. Because it's not a war that anyone can win. It's for all of us to lose."

The Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization Lassina Zerbo talks to Al Jazeera about North Korea, the collapsing Iran nuclear deal, Saudi Arabia's nuclear programme, India-Pakistan tensions, a new nuclear arms race, and the global threat of nuclear war.

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Filmmaker: Mariam Shahin

As the crippling blockade of Gaza by Israel and Egypt continues, poverty levels continue to rise in the territory, a narrow strip of land along the eastern Mediterranean coast.

Gaza is home to more than 1.5 million Palestinians, half of them under the age of 15. Unemployment stands at 52 percent, according to the World Bank. Gazans face poor water and sanitation conditions and overstretched hospitals, among other adversities, according to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights.

This film follows five strong-willed women who are doing their utmost to make a difference in Gaza in different walks of life - medicine, social work, photojournalism, music and local government. Despite the socio-economic conditions in Gaza, the five of them work to make life better for their families and communities.

Filmmaker Mariam Shahin tells Al Jazeera: “Nour, Mona, Itimad, Haifa and Heba represent a new generation of Palestinian women in the Gaza Strip who have freed themselves psychologically of restrictions that society placed on them.”

She says that they defy stereotypes of women in the Arab world and have carried out a “quiet revolution” by using their work and activities to follow their chosen paths.

“They have also chosen to carry men with them rather than stand against them, in an effort to reform their society without causing major upheaval,” Shahin adds.

Nour Halaby is a photographer who has documented the experiences of many Palestinians, including some of the women in this film. Itimad Al Tarshawi is a local politician used to work in the Ministry of Social Affairs but has now moved to the Ministry of Labour. Haifa Farajallah is a singer trying to make her way in the creative sector as well as being a young divorcee. Dr Mona Kiskin is a neurosurgeon at Al Shifa Hospital who is also a mother of three. Heba Mahmoud Abu Shalouf was badly injured in an Israeli attack but married, has two children and trained to be a trauma therapist.

“Seven years ago, people looked down on injured and disabled people. People said that girls with injuries should just stay at home and do nothing. Now things have changed. Every home has someone injured or disabled. Children with disabilities weren’t allowed into regular schools. They were kept at home. This has now changed. Schools, organisations, and universities now admit disabled people,” Shalouf tells Al Jazeera.

Four years after the original filming of The New Women of Gaza, filmmaker Mariam Shahin returned to see how these five women in Gaza were coping with the continued blockade. This film reflects the changes in their lives since and the work they have done to improve the lives of others in Gaza.

“It is great to be able to enter the world of others with the camera and document their lives. It is even greater to be able to capture the changes that take place after the initial film is finished,” Shahin explains.

“Returning to the women we documented in 2015 gave them a sense of comfort and the knowledge that we did not ‘steal’ their stories but continue to be interested in allowing their voices to be heard and their continued struggles not to be forgotten.”

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Filmmaker: Mariam Shahin

As the crippling blockade of Gaza by Israel and Egypt continues, poverty levels continue to rise in the territory, a narrow strip of land along the eastern Mediterranean coast.

Gaza is home to more than 1.5 million Palestinians, half of them under the age of 15. Unemployment stands at 52 percent, according to the World Bank. Gazans face poor water and sanitation conditions and overstretched hospitals, among other adversities, according to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights.

This film follows five strong-willed women who are doing their utmost to make a difference in Gaza in different walks of life - medicine, social work, photojournalism, music and local government. Despite the socio-economic conditions in Gaza, the five of them work to make life better for their families and communities.

Filmmaker Mariam Shahin tells Al Jazeera: “Nour, Mona, Itimad, Haifa and Heba represent a new generation of Palestinian women in the Gaza Strip who have freed themselves psychologically of restrictions that society placed on them.”

She says that they defy stereotypes of women in the Arab world and have carried out a “quiet revolution” by using their work and activities to follow their chosen paths.

“They have also chosen to carry men with them rather than stand against them, in an effort to reform their society without causing major upheaval,” Shahin adds.

Nour Halaby is a photographer who has documented the experiences of many Palestinians, including some of the women in this film. Itimad Al Tarshawi is a local politician used to work in the Ministry of Social Affairs but has now moved to the Ministry of Labour. Haifa Farajallah is a singer trying to make her way in the creative sector as well as being a young divorcee. Dr Mona Kiskin is a neurosurgeon at Al Shifa Hospital who is also a mother of three. Heba Mahmoud Abu Shalouf was badly injured in an Israeli attack but married, has two children and trained to be a trauma therapist.

“Seven years ago, people looked down on injured and disabled people. People said that girls with injuries should just stay at home and do nothing. Now things have changed. Every home has someone injured or disabled. Children with disabilities weren’t allowed into regular schools. They were kept at home. This has now changed. Schools, organisations, and universities now admit disabled people,” Shalouf tells Al Jazeera.

Four years after the original filming of The New Women of Gaza, filmmaker Mariam Shahin returned to see how these five women in Gaza were coping with the continued blockade. This film reflects the changes in their lives since and the work they have done to improve the lives of others in Gaza.

“It is great to be able to enter the world of others with the camera and document their lives. It is even greater to be able to capture the changes that take place after the initial film is finished,” Shahin explains.

“Returning to the women we documented in 2015 gave them a sense of comfort and the knowledge that we did not ‘steal’ their stories but continue to be interested in allowing their voices to be heard and their continued struggles not to be forgotten.”

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- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

Filmmaker: Sherif Fathy

Egyptians top the world at squash. No other country comes close to their recent global dominance and no other sport in Egypt matches the success of squash.

The sport was introduced to Egypt by the British in the 1920s. Amr Bey was an Egyptian diplomat and squash player who won the British Open six times in the 1930s and is generally considered to be the first major, international squash player.

Today, in 2019, seven of the top-ten ranked players are Egyptian, including the world number one. In the last two decades, six Egyptian men and two women have topped the world rankings. Their juniors have won 25 individual titles and Egypt has won 23 team titles across all categories.

International stars Tarek Momen and Raneem El Welily say it is all about hard work from an early age.

"I started playing squash when I was five. It was forced on me. It was the day when my parents came with this racket. I thought it was like a tennis racket but smaller. They said I'd start squash the next day. I was just a kid and knew nothing about squash," Momen tells Al Jazeera.

He adds: "I wasn't sure why we played in a closed room and hit the ball at the wall. I trained against my will for almost two years."

At the time of writing, Momen is ranked number three in the world.

Egypt nurtures young squash talent and has pioneered international competitions for squash players as young as age nine. Former professionals turn to coaching and parents also help their kids succeed in a highly popular sport.

"My parents saw that squash was a sport that Egypt could succeed in locally and abroad. The first time I went to the squash club wasn't to train but for my brother's trial lesson. My parents agreed with the coach for my brother to start. I used to watch my brother play after my swimming class. A year later the squash coach asked me to try," El Welily explains. Now she holds the number one world ranking for squash.

One leading coach suggests Egyptian success is based on breaking the mould, meaning that their players are resourceful, creative, and "attacking".

Ashraf Hanafi, who has more than 35 years of experience as a player and a coach, tells Al Jazeera: "People ask about the secret of Egyptians getting into the top 10 in the men's, women's and junior categories. The secret is a magical mix of many things."

"They start playing at a very young age and produce strong results."

But how long can Egyptians stay at the top of squash?

High salaries abroad, especially in the United States, are luring some of their best coaching talent away and many believe this, as well as a lack of funding at home, are threats to Egypt's dominance. But Momen and El Welily have found more than just playing and financial reward success through squash.

They became friends on the international circuit and got married in 2014, becoming the highest-profile married couple in Egyptian sport. The couple continues to appear in major tournaments around the world.

"A year into marriage she [El Welily] beat Nicole David who was the defending world champion for nine consecutive years. Raneem has become the first Egyptian sportswoman to be world number one," Momen says.

"That's a big achievement for us. It's made me happy."

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