Kanzy El Defrawy.
Kanzy EI Dafrawy.
Kanzy EI Dafrawy, better known as The Flying Daf, is one of the Arab world’s most established and recognizable squash players, boasting 220 professional accolades stretching across a 15-year career and culminating in a world ranking high of 22.
Kanzy began her squash journey aged seven. She quickly gained notoriety for her agility and dedication, epitomized by incredible leaps around the court, which earned her the unique moniker, The Flying Daf.
Securing youth titles all over the world, most significantly in Zimbabwe (African Cup), France (French Open), the Netherlands (Dutch Championships), and the UK (British Junior Open, runner-up), Kanzy’s professional career took off in the United States when she won the USA National Squash Championships in 2016, securing the country’s top ranking.
Nine Professional Squash Association titles duly followed, and by her early-20s, Kanzy’s development into a coach was taking shape, nurturing upcoming talent in the US colleague system. Latterly, would-be squash stars in France, Germany, South Africa, Jordan, Netherlands, Canada, Egypt, the United States, and Switzerland have benefited from her expertise.
Away from the court, Kanzy earned an Economics degree from Egypt’s Lycée Francais Du Caire and a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from Trinity College, Connecticut, United States, where she double majored in International Studies and French while minoring in Urban Studies.
In 2020, Kanzy’s Digital Marketing agency was launched, and, in the same year, she was appointed to the Guinness World Record Official Adjudication panel. She has adjudicated over 15 record attempts, including the tallest siblings, the largest demolished building, and much more. Kanzy is the first Arab female to become an official Guinness World Records Adjudicator and is currently the only female adjudicator in the MENA region.
With a wealth of coaching, mentorship experience, and business acumen, Kanzy has launched ‘The Flying DAF Academy’ – the first of its kind in the UAE – to drive her ambitions for the national and global development of the game.