The 2024 World Junior Squash Championships, in Houston, Texas; will go down in history as the most exciting, record-breaking tournament of all time and set the stage for the future of the sport.
Just like any junior Squash tournament, the World Junior Squash Championships is the launch pad for junior Squash players on their journey to becoming professional Squash players.
With so many moments to take away from the tournament, in the form of record-breaking to shock defeats, the 2024 World Junior Squash Championship in Houston, Texas – the tournament highlighted the next generation of Squash talent and ones who are Olympic-bound in 2028.
Record entries
A record 46 teams gathered in Houston, Texas for the first-ever simultaneous WSF World Junior Men’s and Women’s Team categories.
Notable countries that entered both the individual and team categories included Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Guyana, Hong Kong, China, India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Macau, China, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the USA.
Out of these teams, both Brazil and Guyana were the teams we had our eye on, especially each looking to make an impression on the world of Squash.
The Guyanese men’s team were coming off an impressive medal haul at the 2024 CASA, and only the team representing the West Indies.
As for Brazil, the great nation was making a return to global Squash competition after 12 years, so their appearance in the tournament allowed them to test the waters against other nations, especially fellow Columbia.
Egypt juniors make history
Credit: PSA World Tour Facebook
As we all Egypt has been the most dominant and successful nation in Squash, nevertheless their juniors made history.
Leading junior women’s charge was Amina Orfi, 17, who matched Nour El Sherbini’s record of three titles, in becoming the first to win three consecutive championships. Orfi, who previously triumphed in France (2022) and Australia (2023), faced No. 2 seed Fayrouz Aboelkheir in a highly anticipated final.
In the men’s final, Mohamad Zakaria, the top seed, faced Republic of Korea’s Joo Young Na. At 16, Zakaria became the youngest male champion, breaking the record held by Jansher Khan since 1986. Zakaria played a strategic game, eventually winning 3-0 and claiming the title.
The championships also saw impressive performances from other players. In the women’s event, USA’s Caroline Fouts and Egypt’s Nadine Elhammamy took bronze. In the men’s event, India’s Shaurya Bawa and Malaysia’s Harith Danial claimed bronze.
Winning starts, shock defeats, comebacks, firsts and titles retained
Credit: PSA World Tour Facebook
Following the individual competition, the action resumed with the teams category of the tournament.
Going into the event, both the Egypt women’s team and England men’s team went into the team’s event defending their titles.
This year’s team championships mark a historic moment for squash, as it is the first time that the men’s and women’s events are being held concurrently.
Reigning champs, Team England Men’s get off to a winning start with victories over Macau (3-0) and Germany (2-1).
The biggest shock in the tournament was Luhann Groenewald taking down Omar Azzam to deliver a shock win for South Africa over top seeds Egypt after Egypt had defaulted one match and Marwan Assal had levelled.
Meanwhile, the women’s team competition saw New Zealand secure a much-needed win over Japan, following a loss to the USA in the opening round of their group.
Another highlight in the women’s draw saw Canada return to the last four for the first time in 37 years thanks to valiant efforts from twins Spring and Ocean Ma; this win certainly put Canada on the map again.
The US women’s team making the final, against the mighty Egypt women’s team made for a good final not only because Egypt won their 9th consecutive title but the US women’s team is one to watch in future tournaments.
As for the men’s final, Egypt once again made the final against the Republic of Korea in their first-ever junior final and managed to retain their title in succession.
Looking Forward
The successes of Amina Orfi and Mohamad Zakaria at the World Junior Championships have significant implications for squash in the 2028 Olympic Games. Their victories bring international attention to squash, potentially increasing its popularity and viewership. Their achievements can inspire young athletes worldwide to take up and pursue squash more seriously, creating a new generation of competitors.
The high level of competition among juniors suggests a promising future for senior-level squash. With players like Orfi and Zakaria setting records, other nations will likely invest more in their junior programs, thereby raising the overall standard of competition. This could lead to more countries producing Olympic-level athletes and intensifying international rivalries, making the sport more exciting and competitive.
As for the teams, well South Africa certainly proved that they are a nation that the world of Squash has to look out for. Also, a special mention to Columbia who did very well to reach the semi-finals for the first time.
Like most Squash tournaments at the junior level, we hope to see more nations such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Jamaica take part to show the true global appeal of the sport at a grassroots level.
To sum up, each young Squash talent showed why they truly deserve to be in their respective countries’ Olympic Team come 2028.
