WSF Women's World Team Championship 2022: the national team of Ukraine takes 17th place

The women's national team of Ukraine decently completed the World Team Squash Championship in Egypt. Even after our girls failed to get out of the group and into the playoffs for prize places, they did not give up and continued to fight to the last. This was demonstrated by the tightly contested matches against the Taipei national team and the stunning game of Anastasia Kostyukova with the first racket of Germany, Saski Beinhard. Anastasia Kostyukova brought the cherished victory at the "meeting of debutants" for the team, and Milena Velichko was also very close to pull luck in the team's favor. But, unfortunately, in the long five-game set, the opponent conceded.

Even before the trip to Cairo, the coaches of our national team, Kostyantyn Rybalchenko and Oleksandr Bulgakov, talked about the fact that the most important reward for our girls will be the experience of meetings at a high international level. To achieve championship awards was mentioned as something possible only in the future.

"The championship was intense and spectacular, 17 countries fought for the World Champions Cup. Among them was our national team, which debuted at a tournament of this rank for the first time. Even three months before the competition, we did not know that our team would participate, so unfortunately there was no team training. We managed to train before the championship, where we arrived early," said Kostyantyn Rybalchenko.

"The task for the team was to show their best game, to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the best players in the world and to gain as much experience as possible for their further career growth. As a result - 17th place and a lot of baggage with experience."

As for the winners, Egypt had a real celebration on Saturday as a star-studded line-up defeated Team USA in front of a sold-out crowd at Cairo's Madinaty Sports Club.

The tournament hosts, represented by world number one Nooran Gohar, world number two Noor El Sherbini, world number three Hanya El-Hammamy and world number six Noor El-Tayeb, reached their sixth final without losing a single match.

The USA, represented by World No. 5 Amanda Sobhy, World No. 10 Olivia Fichter, World No. 15 and Amanda's younger sister Sabrina Sobhy, and World No. 20 Olivia Klein have already made history by reaching the final. The team's previous highest result was fifth place.

At the award ceremony, bronze medals were awarded to England and Malaysia, and some female athletes were also recognized for a number of outstanding achievements.

Japan's Satomi Watanabe, who won all six matches, was named the most valuable player. South Africa, three places above a predicted 12th place, were awarded Team of the Championship.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, WSF President Zena Wooldridge said: “This Women's World Team Championship concludes an outstanding year of squash competition in the post-Covid era.

“Today we saw two nations field the strongest women's squad they have ever had. We saw some truly world-class squash. The World Championship demonstrated the versatility of squash, with four teams from four different continents on the podium this evening."

Final standings: Women's World Team Championship 2022

1- Egypt

2- the United States

3- England and Malaysia

5- Hong Kong

6- France

7- Canada

8- Scotland

9- South Africa

10- Japan

11- Australia

12- Switzerland