Group Results

Group A

Salah Hassan (Egypt) 5 wins beat M. Anan, +2; R. Brand, +6; R. Flood, +4; K. Heidbuchel, +3; J. Houser, +3.

Jim Houser (USA) 3 wins beat M. Anan, +4; R. Brand, +6; R. Flood, +3.

Mohammed Anan (Egypt) 3 wins beat R. Brand, +5; R. Flood, +4; K. Hedibuchel, +5.

Richard Brand (England) 2 wins beat R. Flood, +1; K. Heidbuchel, +1.

Ray Flood (Ireland) 1 win beat K. Heaidbuchel, +2.

Koen Heidbuchel (Belgium) 1 win beat J. Houser, +1.

Group B

Khaled Younis (Egypt) 5 wins beat N.Al-Shanti, +6; S. Curry, +2; E. Dymock, +4; M.McInerney, +2; I.Abdelwahab, +3.

Ihab Abdelwahab (USA) 3 wins beat N. Al-Shanti, +3; S. Curry, +2; E. Dymock, +3.

Nadar Al Shanti (Palestine) 2 wins beat E. Dymock, +3; M. McInerney, +6.

Mark McInerney (Ireland) 2 wins beat S. Curry, +4; I. Abdelwahab, +1.

Edward Dymock (England) 2 wins beat S. Curry, +2; M. McInerney +2

Samantha Curry (England) 1 win beat N. Al-Shanti, +3.

Group C

Peter Payne (Switzerland) 4 wins beat A. Pidcock, +2; H. El-Shobaki, +1; D. Old, +1; E. Newell, +5.

Evan Newell (Ireland) 4 wins beat I. Brand, +3; A. Pidcock, +4, H. El-Shokabi, +1; D. Old, +1.

Hany El-Shobaki (Egypt) 3 wins beat I. Brand, +1, A. Pidcock, +3; D. Old, +3.

Derek Old (England) 2 wins beat I. Brand, +5; A. Pidcock, +2.

Ivor Brand (England) 2 wins beat A. Pidcock, +2; P.Payne, +1.

Alan Pidcock (England) 0 wins

Group D

Gianpietro Donati (Italy) 4 wins beat R. Edwards, +2; S. Hamdi, +2; V. Tomes, +1; D. Underhill, +2.

Hisham Abou Esba (Egypt) 4 wins beat G. donati, +1, S. Hamdi, +1; V. Tomes, +2; D. Unerhill, +2.

Roy Edwards (England) 3 wins beat H. Abou Esba, +3; S. Hamdi, +4; V. Tomes, +1.

Sherine Hamdy (Egypt) 2 wins beat V. Tomes, +2; D. Underhill, +5.

Vernon Tomes (South Africa) 1 win beat D. Underhill, +7.

David Underhill (Switzerland) 1 win beat R. Edwards, +2.

Group E

Andrew Hutchinson (England) 5 wins beat C. Jones, +6; S.Mahmoud, +1; A. Pravettoni, +2; W. Salah, +1; C. von Schmeider, +2.

Walid Salah (Egypt) 4 wins beat C. Jones, +4; S. Mahmoud, +1; A. Pravettoni, +3; Carl. von Schmeider, +4.

Samia Mahmoud (Egypt) 3 wins beat C. Jones, +3; A. Pravettoni, +1; Carl. von Schmeider, +4.

Andrea Pravettoni (Italy) 2 wins beat C. Jones, +2; Carl. von Schmeider, +2.

Carl von Schmeider (Ireland) 1 win beat C. Jones, +4.

Charles Jones (New Zealand) 0 wins

Group F

Hazem Mahmoud (Egypt) 4 wins beat J. Jeffrey, +6; S.Eryan, +1; S. Miles, +4; S. Adbelwahab, +2.

Sherif Abdelwahab (Egypt) 4 wins beat J. Jeffrey, +1; S. Eryan, +2; S. Miles, +5; Charles von Schmeider, +4.

Salib Eryan (Egypt) 3 wins beat J. Jeffrey, +5; S. Miles, +3; Charles von Schmeider, + +1.

Charles von Schmeider (Ireland) 3 wins beat J. Jeffrey, +3; S. Miles, +4; H. Mahmoud, +2.

John Jeffrey (England) 1 win beat S. Miles, +2.

Simon Miles (England) 0 wins

Group G

Nahed Hassan (Egypt) 5 wins beat K. El-Haj, +5; S. Jones, +6; D. Beck, +3; M. Mehas, +1; A. Abdelwahab, +3.

Ayman Abdelwahab (Egypt) 4 wins K. El-Haj, +3; S. Jones, +3; D. Beck, +3; M. Mehas, +4

Mik Mehas (USA) 3 wins beat K. El-Haj, +6; S. Jones, +6; D. Beck, +3.

Don Beck (England) 2 wins beat K. El-Haj, +2; S. Jones, +5.

Syd Jones (England) 1 win beat K. El-Haj, +3.

Khalil El-Haj (Palestine) 0 wins

Group H

Yasser Esmat (Egypt) 4 wins beat R. El-Alami, +4; T. Hall, +3; G. Tomes, +3, R. Williams, +6.

Kristian Chambers (England) 4 wins beat R. El-Alami, +5; T. Hall, +5; R. Williams, +5; Y. Esmat, +1.

Grahame Tomes (South Africa) 2 wins beat R. El-Alami, +1; K. Chambers, +1.

Rod Williams (Scotland) 2 wins beat T. Hall, +4; G. tomes, +1.

Tony Hall (Australia) 2 wins beat R. El-Alami, +1; G. Tomes, +1.

Rana Al-Elami (Palestine) 1 win beat R. Williams, +3.

Final Knockout Results
First Round:

K. Younis beat R. Brand +5, +7

H.El-Shobaki beat W. Salah +2, +2

G. Donati beat D. Beck +3, +3

S. Abdelwahab beat G. Tomes +3, +3

E. Newell beat S. Mahmoud +4, +1

S. Hassan beat M. McInerney -4, +1, +3

N. Hassan beat S. Hamdy +3, +7

S. Eryan beat K. Chambers -1, +2, +3

M.Mehas beat H. Aboa Esba +4, -1, +4

H. Mahmoud beat R. Williams +3, +4

M. Anan beat I. Abdelwahab +3, +5

A. Hutchinson beat D. Old +1, +2

Y. Esmat beat C. von Schmeider +2, +4

A. Abdelwahab beat R. Edwards +5, +2

P.Payne beat A. Pravettoni +3, +5

J. Houster beat N. Al-Shanti +2, +1

Second Round:

K. Younis beat H.El-Shobaki -2, +5, +3

G. Donati beat S. Abdelwahab -2, +5, +2

E. Newell beat S. Hassan -1, +1, +2

N. Hassan beat s. Eryan +2, -3, +2

M.Mehas beat H. Mahmoud +2, -1, +3

M. Anan beat A. Hutchinson +2, +4

Y. Esmat beat A. Abdelwahab +3, +4

P.Payne beat J. Houster -3, +4, +1

Quarter-Final:

K. Younis beat G. Donati -3, +4, +2

E. Newell beat N. Hassan -2, +2, +2

M.Mehas beat M. Anan +5, +2

Y. Esmat beat P.Payne +3, -5, +5

Semi-Final:

K. Younis beat E. Newell +3, +5

M. Mehas beat Y. Esmat +3, -2, +2

Final:

K. Younis beat M. Mehas -2, +6, +1, +3

Final Positions

1st KHALED YOUNIS - Egypt
2nd Mik MEHAS - USA
3rd Evan NEWELL - Ireland
4th Yasser ESMAT - Egypt
5th Giampietro DONATI - Italy
6th Mohamed ANAN - Egypt
7th Naheed HASSAN - Egypt
8th Peter PAYNE - Switzerland
9th Hazem MAHMOUD - Egypt
10th Hany EL-SHOBAKI - Egypt
11th Salib ERYAN - Egypt
12th Ayman ABDELWAHAB - Egypt
13th Jim HOUSER - USA
14th Sherif ABDELWAHAB - USA
15th Salah HASSAN - Egypt
16th Andrew HUTCHINSON - England
17th Hisham ABOUSBBA - Egypt
18th Mark McINERNEY - Ireland
19th Charles von SCHMIEDER - Ireland
20th Richard BRAND - England
21st Andrea PRAVETTONI - Italy
22nd Kristian CHAMBERS - England
23rd Ihab ABDELWAHAB - USA
24th Grahame TOMES - South Africa
25th Don BECK - England
26th Nada AL-SHANTI - Palestine
27th Rod WILLIAMS - Scotland
28th Samia MAHMOUD - Egypt
29th Walid SALAH - Egypt
30th Roy EDWARDS - England
31st Derek OLD - England
32nd Sherin HAMDI - England
33rd Tony HALL - Australia
34th Ivor BRAND - England
35th Ed DYMOCK - England
36th Dave UNDERHILL - Switzerland
37th Sam CURRY - England
38th Alan PIDCOCK - England
39th Vernon TOMES - South Africa
40th John de M. JEFFREY - England
41st Syd Jones - England
42nd Carl von SCHMIEDER - Ireland
43rd Charles JONES - New Zealand
44th Simon MILES - England
45th Koen HEIDBUCHEL - Belgium
46th Ray FLOOD - Ireland
47th Rana AL-ALARMI - Palestine
48th Khalil EL-HAJ - Palestine

Khaled Younis is the new World Golf Croquet Champion. In a final that was anything but one sided, the Egyptian, who regains his crown lost last year in Cairo to Salah Hassan, played a tactical, defensive game, attacking only when his opponent, the American Mik Mehas, showed signs of weakness. On the almost perfect lawns at Leamington, this was always going to be the winning tactic.

Khaled, uncharacteristically, showed his nerves in the first game and, although he never lost touch with the American, conceded the game 7-5. Mik made the winning hoop from 5 yards, with the Egyptian's next ball in position to run the hoop, had he missed. Game two was all one sided, with Khaled coming into his stride. With a succession of long hoop running, he effectively closed the American out of the game, winning 7-1 to tie at one game each.

Defensive tactics dominated the third game. After Khaled took an early lead 3-1, Mik saw the danger and dug in with some very accurate shots. He dragged himself back into contention, winning four hoops in a row to go ahead 5-3. However, Khaled was concentrating and, after over ninety minutes of play, finally took the tiebreak hoop to win the game 7-6 and go 2-1 up in the series. The fourth, and ultimately final, game continued in the same style, but as the night closed in and the spotlights were turned on, the superior experience of the Egyptian showed through. Khaled, to the delight of his numerous compatriots watching the final, won the game 7-4 to take the World Championship title for the second time.

Mik, for whom the game of golf croquet was a new experience, had a wonderful championship, and is the living proof that association croquet players can do well playing against the top level of the golf croquet hierarchy. In third place, the surprise came from Ireland's Evan Newell, totally unrated before the event, but who hardly lost a single game throughout the week. He beat Yasser Esmat 4-7 7-3 7-4 in the third place playoff. Italy's Giampietro Donati took fifth place, in front of "Micky" Mohamed Anan, while Naheed Hassan beat myself for seventh spot.

Why did the Egyptians have such a tough time in Leamington? The weather was undoubtedly a factor. Playing in near freezing conditions is not really their cup of tea. The balls used in Egypt are lighter than our standard Barlow GTs or Jaques Eclipse, and the Egyptians had difficulty getting used to them. Likewise the lawns, which were perhaps too perfect, giving an advantage to the gentler, more tactical players over the hard hitters. Finally, it must be said that the Europeans especially, but the other non-Egyptians too, are getting better at the sport. Personally, I found that I learned a new trick or tactic each time that I played an Egyptian!

The Manager, John Jeffrey, did a good job, in quite difficult conditions. With a constant backlog of matches to schedule, new rules to contend with, inexperienced referees, and a few tricky situations to sort out, he always kept his cool and his sense of humour, as did Referee of Tournament, Tony Hall from Australia, whose vast experience was put to the test on several occasions. A special mention is also due to Evelyn Martin, who was granted the dubious privilege of refereeing the final. She performed exceedingly well.

The Championship Dinner was hosted by Warwick District Council, in the Council Chambers and invitees were treated to the spectacle of the two finalists, Khaled and Mik dancing (almost) cheek to cheek! Another highlight was the fantastically talented Vernon Tomes' performances on the piano, playing jazz pieces either solo or together with the "official" pianist. It was nice to see some of the leading lights of the English CA, and of the association game, over the week. One can only hope that the game will now be taken more seriously in England. 

I think that I can safely say that all the participants had a great week in Leamington. It is worth noting that the players were expected to pay their own accommodation and meals, since there was no sponsorship of the event, other than that of the Warwick District Council. However, a black mark must be given for the lack of free time to visit this very interesting corner of England, and the total lack of any "officially" organised social events over the entire week, excepting the Championship Dinner. After the Egyptians fantastic efforts last year, this was rather disappointing.

So, another World Championship is over, and I must sign off, but not before thanking the many readers (Yes! Somebody does read these reports!) who sent me messages of thanks and encouragement.