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He's back. Only months after suffering a near-fatal stabbing, Egyptian star Ahmed Barada is miraculously taking his place in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open ready to challenge the world again. And this time, he's more determined than ever. '
The attack in March changed Barada's life. It was the latest inflicted on a sports star following the attacks on tennis star Monica Seles and more recently Russian swimming great Alexander Popov. The two stab wounds - five and six centimetres deep - inflicted on Barada's lower back by a crazed assailant have healed, but the emotional scars will probably linger in the 23-year-old's mind for years.
"I was out for 12 weeks. Maybe it was the crowd that spurred me to continue playing. I was thinking of retiring when I was stabbed. I was almost crippled because doctors told me the weapon struck very close to my spine. At first, I thought that was the end of my career, but things have changed quite a bit," said Barada.
Things have certainly changed for the better for Barada, who, after weeks of physiotherapy in Germany, managed to get back on his feet and eventually train and play competitively again. His performance in Cairo's Al Ahram International Championship, where he reached the final, signalled his return to full fitness and competitive squash at the highest level.
But the attack in the Cairo suburb while Barada was getting out of his car still troubles him. "It was really bad. I mean, my doctor in Germany said I could have been crippled for life if the knife had found its mark. It was just one centimetre away from my spine. "If I had been crippled, I don't know what I would have done in a wheelchair. For any sporting star, it would have been very difficult if they knew they would be doing nothing but stay at home, just lying in bed. I was lucky, real lucky," said Barada. It was his love for the game that spurred Barada to make a comeback when all seemed over. The long hours spent in physiotherapy in Germany made it all worthwhile.
"The love of the game helped me to come back. I love this game and although I suffered a setback, I was determined to come back. It took time. I had a stiff back for a long time. Then I started training again. It was a long road back," he said. Barada doesn't really like talking about his attack and prefers to put that fateful night to the back of his mind.
"I try to remove that from my mind. I want to lead my life as normally as possible. I am only 23 years old. I still have time to play squash . . . and to win tournaments," said the Egyptian. The thought still crosses his mind from time to time: Why would anyone try to kill him? "I don't know why it happened but the man was arrested. I only know he was a crazy man, a psycho," said Barada.
But even while Barada has made a full recovery and is playing near his best, last year's World Open runner-up is never far from controversy. His physical style of play has not won him many friends on court and last week British Open champion Jonathon Power claimed the Egyptian star deliberately charged into him in what the Canadian said was a "malicious attack" during their semi-final at the Al Ahram tournament.
Barada said he had done nothing wrong and other players like the legendary Jansher Khan played the same aggressive style. "There was no problem. I'm just happy to be playing again. I love Hong Kong and I want to do well," he said.
Reprinted with permission of the South China Morning Post online. (www.scmp.com)
Barada in action against Power (top) and signing autographs
yesterday in Hong Kong (bottom) (bottom 2000 Photo © SCMP top Squashtalk
file photo)
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