Egypt Seeded To Reclaim Women's World Junior Team Title

Egypt are expected to win the Hoe Hin White Flower Ointment Women's World Junior Team Championships next month in Hong Kong according to the interim seedings which are announced today by the World Squash Federation (WSF).

The 2007 Hoe Hin White Flower Ointment World Junior Women's Championships take place from 01-11 August, the team championship following the individual event.

Favourites to retain the title they won in 2003 for the second time, Egypt lost to Hong Kong in the 2005 final in Belgium.

Led by reigning world junior champion Raneem El Weleily, Egypt are expected to face hosts Hong Kong - named as second seeds - in the 2007 final.

New Zealand, who last made the top four in 1997, are the No3 seeds, while 2001 runners-up Malaysia are named as fourth seeds.

England and Australia - nations with five and three titles each, respectively, since the inaugural competition in 1985 - are expected to finish outside the top four in Hong Kong. England are seeded five, ahead of sixth-placed France, seventh-placed USA and eight-placed Australia.

The full interim seeding list is:

[1] Egypt, [2] Hong Kong, [3] New Zealand, [4] Malaysia, [5] England, [6] France, [7] USA, [8] Australia, [9] Germany, [10] Canada, [11] Netherlands, [12] India, [13] South Africa, [14] Switzerland, [15] Japan, [16] South Korea, [17] Singapore, [18] Zimbabwe, and [19] China.

The final seedings will be confirmed on semi-finals day of the Individual championship.

China, South Korea and Zimbabwe will make their debuts in the 2007 Championships.