CALGARY, Canada – Diego Elías closed his winter campaign by winning the Canadian Men’s Squash Open in Calgary. In a final tie, the Peruvian athlete beat the Egyptian Mazen Hesham in four games, 11-2, 11-2, 9-11 and 11-8.
After a well-deserved rest, Elías will begin preparations for the main tournaments of the year in the coming weeks, with a view to trying to regain the number one spot in the world. ranking that reached last year.
Thanks to Elías’s achievements in international competitions, squash has begun to stand out in Peru, leading to the creation of public courts, including the first doubles court, in a country where until a few decades ago this sport could only be practiced a few times. private clubs.
Diego Elías, trained at the Terrazas club, granted the Las Americas Newspaper The following interview to discuss his career.
-At what moment did you think you could become number one in the world? ranking squash world cup?
-Well, I thought about it for a long time and it has been my dream for a long time, but it was only in the last five years when I saw it quite possible. And so, in the last year that passed, I became number one.
-At what moment did you recognize that being number one was inevitable?
-From a very young age I always knew that I had the talent and all the possibilities of becoming one. But that was not enough. You always have to put in a lot of work. I think when I was 17 or 18 years old and I started to be among the top 20 in the world, that’s when I realized that if I kept putting in the necessary effort he could become number one. That took me many years to be able to do and it was not until April 2023 that I was able to achieve it.
-I understand that your father played squash and even became national champion in a sport that was practically unknown in Peru.
-Yes, my dad was a national champion, more or less since 1993 and he started playing quite late at 18 years old. Squash in Peru is played only in private clubs, so it is a bit complicated for it to spread so much and that is why there are not many people playing it. My dad started playing with a group of friends and from then on he loved the sport and never gave it up. Since I was very young he took me to games and from then on I loved the sport.
-What was the first squash court in Peru?
-I don’t know what the first court was, but the oldest clubs with courts are the Terrazas, the Regatas and the Jockey Club.
-What led you to settle in Boca Raton?
-Since the beginning of 2021 I had a slightly complicated hip injury and I went to Boca Raton to see physical therapists and doctors and from there I loved it. I met my physical trainer, who helped me rehabilitate from the injury, and until now I continue with him. I’ve been living there for three years now.
-How has your game changed since you started training with Canadian Jonathon Power?
-Training with a former world number one was something that, when I was 13 or 14 years old, I couldn’t believe. Jonathon had always been an idol for me since I was very little, and training and having him teach me all his experience, anecdotes and everything he experienced gave me great motivation, and greatly influenced my game.
-Where did you meet Jonathon Power?
-I came to play the Canadian Junior Open and the US Junior Open, when I was 13 years old. It was a sub-15 tournament, for those under 15 years old. I came with my dad. I won both tournaments and I imagine that Jonathon heard about me or saw me play a match at the Canadian Junior Open in Niagara, and from there he contacted me through a Peruvian who lives in Toronto and who is now a good friend of my dad. , but it was like that on the phone.
