Golf croquet: Egyptians fight it out for title in stirring final

CHAMPION: Ahmed El Mahdy won the World Golf Croquet Championships held in the Bay of Plenty. PHOTO/GEORGE NOVAK

The battle for the title of world golf croquet champion was fought out between a mechanical engineer and a civil-court judge in the Bay of Plenty.

It was also a contest between the two Egyptian players who had been losing semifinalists at the last world championship in Cairo two years ago, Hamy Erian and Ahmed El Mahdy.

The World Golf Croquet Championships were played over nine days at four clubs in the Bay of Plenty including Rotorua, Mount Maunganui, Katikati and Whakatane, with the finals played at Mount Maunganui last weekend.

Playing for nearly four hours, it was Erian who took the first two games and who looked to be heading for the title. But El Mahdy fought back to take the third, drew level by winning the fourth and then came out on top 7-5 in the deciding game.

Erian, who only started playing croquet in 2005 and whose world ranking was fourth coming into the championships, is the nephew of one of Egypt's greatest players, Mohab Saleeb.

El Mahdy began playing in 1998. Both players are from Cairo.

In the semifinals on Saturday, Erian put out the last Kiwi, Chris Clarke from Christchurch, 7-2, 4-7, 7-6, 4-7, 7-3. In the other semi, El Mahdy eliminated Stephen Mulliner, England, 7-6, 7-3, 7-6.

-Results:

Last 16: Hamy Erian (Egypt) b Peter Landrebe (Australia) 7-2, 7-4; Salah Hassan (Egypt) b Mike Crashley (Gisborne)) 3-7, 7-5, 7-2; Shoukry Aziz (Egypt) b Tarek Mamdouth (Egypt) 7-2, 4-7, 7-1; Chris Clarke (Christchurch) b Mohamed Nasr (Egypt) 6-7, 7-4, 7-3; Reg Bamford (S Africa) b Jenny Clarke (Christchurch) 7-6, 7-2; Ahmed El Mahdy (Egypt) b Mohamed Karem (Egypt) 5-7, 7-5, 7-5; Stephen Mulliner (England) Jared Keeman (Australia)5-7, 7-1, 7-2; Ahmed Nasr (Egypt) b Sherif Abdelwahah (United States) 7-1, 6-7, 7-3.

Quarter-finals: Erian b Hassan 7-2, 5-7, 7-5; Clarke b Aziz 7-4, 7-3; El Mahdy b Bamford 4-7, 7-4, 7-1; Mulliner b Nasr 7-5, 7-6.

Semifinals: Erian b Clarke 7-2, 4-7, 7-6, 4-7, 7-3; El Mahdy b Mulliner 7-6, 7-3, 7-6.

Final: El Mahdy b Erian 4-7, 5-7, 7-4, 7-4, 7-5.