Shahier Razik to Lead Canadian Commonwealth Contingent

By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

Four-time Canadian men’s champion Shahier Razik will lead Canada’s squash team into the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Since squash is not yet an Olympic sport, the October Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India are among the top events on the international squash calendar, with top squash-playing nations such as England, Australia, and New Zealand sending their top players.

“With all of our Canadian players competing on international circuits, we look forward to taking on many of the best players in the world in Delhi,” Canadian coach Yvon Provençal said in a release. “We know that players like Shahier and Alana [Miller] will provide great leadership to the younger players and we expect to create some upsets.” The Canadian team, with the players chosen based on individual world ranking, is a mix of experienced players and relative newcomers.

Razik, born in Cairo but raised in Toronto, will make his third Commonwealth Games appearance. He has also played in three Pan American Games, winning individual gold in 2003. He won the Canadian singles title in 2006, 2007, 2009 and this year. The games will take place in New Dehli, India from October 3rd thru October 14th.

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