CAIRO: As far as can be ascertained, only one person has ever played squash against both Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Mohamed Awad is Egyptian who was once No 9 in the world, two reasons why he was granted court time with Mubarak. Awad’s date with Rumsfeld came in February when he spent half an hour hitting with him at a racquet club in Munich where Rumsfeld was attending a military conference and where Awad is the head coach.
What did Awad think of his eminences? He still plays a hard game. He blocks like he’s playing ice hockey, Awad, brother of the more illustrious squash name Gamal, said of Rumsfeld. “His eyes follow the ball all the time. He has great reflexes for a man his age.
Rumsfeld, 74, reportedly suggested to Awad that he could outplay another over-70 politician known for his squash, President Mubarak. “I told him, ‘That can’t be right because I’ve played with Mubarak, and he’s much better than you,’ said Awad. Rumsfeld, he said, just laughed.
Pentagon aides say they do not recall Rumsfeld boasting about being better than Mubarak but maintain that despite his age, Rumsfeld remains stubbornly competitive. He took up squash more than 20 years ago when he was a business executive. Rather than tricky bank shots off the walls, a move that better skilled players favor, Rumsfeld plays with power, hitting the ball hard and ending points quickly. And he refuses to play by the rules, aides claim, often winning points because, after hitting a shot, he does not get out of the way so his opponent has a chance to return the ball, a practice known in squash as “clearing.
Rumsfeld himself has suggested that his ideas about transforming the military into a smaller, more agile force, like the one he pushed for in invading Iraq, were influenced by his squash playing. “Speed kills, he once said. “If you can do something very fast, you can get your job done and save a lot of lives.
Can Rumsfeld’s squash game compare with how he has prosecuted the war in Iraq? Perhaps. Rumsfeld’s hardball squash has virtually died out in America. These days, everyone plays softball squash, an international version that generally favors patience and fitness over shot-making.
The last time Americans dominated squash was in the hardball era. Once the sport changed to softball, the Europeans, the Pakistanis and now the Egyptians took over. But Rumsfeld will simply not let go of the old school that says American might is right.
Rumsfeld is said to take every opportunity to play a sport he says has helped keep his sanity at a time he and the administration have faced growing political pressure. The defense secretary has hung on in the face of growing criticism of his handling of the Iraq war as violence there has escalated, U.S. casualties have mounted and public support for the conflict has declined.
Facing renewed criticism about the war, Rumsfeld has stated emphatically he will not resign, revealing he received a personal vote of confidence in a recent private call from President George Bush following revelations in Bob Woodward’s latest book “State of Denial which claim Bush has toyed with the idea of firing Rumsfeld. Mubarak and Rumsfeld – very much in the news, are septuagenarian politicians and military men who take their squash seriously. But does their squash game reveal their character?
Squash is a tough game. It can be like a war inside the court, says Awad. You strike hard, you put pressure on your opponent, and you control the battle – that’s how you win.
In Iraq and on the court, Rumsfeld is still desperately trying to win.
