Diego Elías: Five answers that explain the number 1, the Laureles Deportivos and what follows in his career

A new sporting joy comes to the country and comes from the hand of Diego Elías the squash. Yes, little is known about that sport in our country, but in which we have the best player in the world. Diego will become the leader of the PSA (Professional Squash Association) ranking starting this Monday, becoming the first player from South America to reach that ceiling.

Diego Elías will take the number one in the world after the combination of results that occurred in the British Open. The Peruvian was favored by two events: the suspension of the leader Mostafa Asal, who could not play the British Open, and the fall of the Egyptian Mohamed ElShorbagy in the third round, the other player fighting for the lead.

Next, we specify what this achievement means for Diego Elías in five answers about what surrounds the arrival at the top of Diego Elías.

What was Elías’ defining moment for this world number 1?

They are several. And Diego Elías has been able to take advantage of the great level with which he began 2023. He won three consecutive tournaments to reach the PSA top 2 and then benefited from a six-week ban against the Egyptian Mostafa Asal, who was unable to defend points in the recent tournaments, with which he lost the one in this British Open.

But Diego Elías did his job to tempt number 1. During the season he won two platinum tournaments -the highest level-, such as the US Open 2022 and the JP Morgan 2023, in addition to reaching the Hong Kong final.

He has been the protagonist in several tournaments, which is why his losses in the second round at the Canaray Whraf and the Optasia Open, a couple of weeks ago, did not affect his numbers, they only delayed his arrival at number one in the ranking.

And at the British Open there was his great moment. The hand in hand was with the Egyptian who represents England Mohamed ElShorbargy. The Peruvian needed the Egyptian not to reach the final to be the one, and yesterday his rival’s career came to a halt before the surprise defeat against Karim Abdel Gawad, number 15 in the world. With that, Diego Elías earned the right to claim the top. Today it is the Peruvian’s turn, who must remain focused on the tournament. He takes on Nathan Lake (30 PSA) at noon to stay in the running for the title.

After the British Open, Diego Elías points to a new achievement. In May, the Squash World Cup is held in Chicago and the Peruvian will seek to close the season in style. He was already two-time youth champion and it is time to celebrate in the highest category.

Who trains you and why is it so important in your life?

The ‘Puma’ is prepared by ‘Tiger’ and everything stays in the family. José Manuel Elías was a national champion more than 20 times and passed the sport on to his son. Since he was little Diego accompanied each event, each tournament, each trip to his father and he decided to follow his path.

”I started when I was very young because of my father, who has been a national champion for many years. Since I was born, he has taken me to the courts and, as soon as I could walk, I started playing. I have been practicing squash for three or four years”, Diego himself recounted in an interview with El Comercio a couple of years ago.

And José Manuel continues to be his closest coach. Although Diego now works with a whole group of professionals, his father is still his coach. “These are the result of all joint work, from coaches, psychologists and nutritionists. The best thing we could do was make Diego train outside ”, José Manuel himself told us a few weeks ago about what his son has been doing.

Do Sports Laurels correspond to you?

The Laureles is the highest honorary distinction that an athlete can receive for their achievements in their activities. There are more than a thousand laureates since 1949 when the Sports Laurels began to be awarded. However, what Diego Elías has done is not enough to receive this honor, since the ranking does not determine that he is a world champion.

The Sports Laurels are destined according to regulations for the world and Olympic champions in the case of Grand Cross Grade and for those who reach the podiums (second and third) in the same competitions mentioned, the Laurels in Grand Official Grade correspond to them.

However, according to the specialist Jorge Canales, the law says: “It is a distinction for an extraordinary effort that the athlete has made”, which opens the possibility of interpretation from that point of view.

There are cases like those of Nicolás Fuchs (world production champion), the Cori brothers (youth world champions), or the cases of Paolo Guerrero and Claudio Pizarro, Club World Cup champions with their teams, Corinthians and Bayern, respectively. Boxers like Kina Malpartida or Linda Lecca. Or the same Diego Elías who was twice world youth champion (2013 and 2015). They have not been able to be recognized for these achievements.

For these cases, a few years ago it was proposed to have a category of Great Ambassador, but it has not been possible to change the regulations so that this is possible and the great Peruvian athletes are recognized as they deserve.

What are your achievements with the Peruvian team?

Diego Elías represents the national team from the children’s categories. He won South Americans, Pan Americans in his discipline, and at the mega-event level, we could see his greatest achievement at home: the gold medal at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, which was seen on the Videna field.

The Pan American Games and the World Games (non-Olympic disciplines) are the highest competitions for squash in terms of representing each country. Diego, at the age of 14, competed in Guadalajara 2011, won the silver medal in Toronto 2015 -a contest in which he was the standard bearer- and took revenge in Lima 2019.

Meanwhile, at the 2017 World Games in Poland, Diego managed to place fourth in squash. In that same event, Alexandra Grande achieved gold in karate.

Why don’t we see it at the Olympics?

Every four years the maximum multi-sport event takes place. The Olympic Games is the greatest dream of every athlete since the best in the world compete -with exceptions in sports such as football and boxing that compete under 23 and amateurs-, but there are only 28 permanent sports and others that are integrated year after year.

Unfortunately squash is not part of the Olympic sports. Efforts have been made by the World Squash Federation (WSF) and the Professional Squash Association (PSA) for the sport to be considered on the circuit, but it has not yet been possible. It was expected that for Paris 2024 it would be considered, but the response was negative from the organization.

The closest it has been to squash on the Olympic circuit is that it was present at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games as an exhibition sport.

“Every squash player’s dream is to go to the Olympic Games for the first time. I hope they realize how good squash is”, said Elías himself a few years ago.

It is hoped that, in the future, this sport can reach the Olympic circuit and Diego Elías is still active to fulfill a new dream.

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