ISLAMABAD, Jun 09 (APP): Pakistan’s Hamza Khan was named in the men’s draw of the 2023 WSF World Junior Championship when World Squash Federation announced players competing in the individual and team events of the extravaganza.
This year’s World Junior Championship, to be played in Melbourne Sports Centres (MSAC) from July 18to 29 July, would feature 245 entries across the men’s individual championship, the women’s individual championship and the women’s team championship, said a press release.
In individual championships, Egypt’s Amina Orfi and Netherlands’ Rowan Damming return to defend their titles.
Damming, 18, made history last year in France as the 5/8 seed upset English 3/4 seed Finnlay Withington to become Netherlands’ first ever world junior champion and has since impressed on the PSA World Tour, qualifying for this year’s PSA World Championship in Chicago.
Orfi, 15, showed incredible tenacity as she fought back from two games down in both the semifinal and final to lift the title and has since enjoyed a breakout year on the professional circuit, reaching the final of the Squash On Fire Open and the last 16 of the PSA World Championship.
Joining Orfi and Damming were three of last year’s semifinalists. In the men’s draw, Egypt’s Mohamed Zakaria and Pakistan’s Hamza Khan return, with Egypt’s Fayrouz Aboelkheir – now ranked World No.33 and playing in the Squash World Cup next week – hoping to end a successful season with a major title in the women’s draw.
For the hosts, twelve players would be hoping to deliver a title on home soil, including U19 Oceania champion Oscar Curtis and siblings Dylan and Erin Classen.
Elsewhere, Asian U19 women’s champion Aira Azman of Malaysia, European U19 men’s and women’s champions Jonah Bryant and Asia Harris of England, Oceania U19 women’s champion Ella Lash of New Zealand, and Pan American Junior men’s champion Juan Jose Torres Lara of Colombia will be eager to make their mark on the world stage.
In the women’s team event, which returns after a four-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 14 teams would battle it out for the title.
Egypt has named a strong team of Amina Orfi, Fayrouz Aboelkheir, Nour Megahed and Zeina Zein. Hong Kong, China, the last non-Egyptian team to win the title, send Ena Kwong, Ka Huen Leung, Sze Wing Wai and Tse Yee Lam Toby.
Scotland, competing for the first time since 2005, will be hoping Anna Halliday, Louisa Kaven, Robyn McAlpine and Rowan Niven can make an impact.
Hosts Australia, meanwhile, will be represented by Amelie Guziak, Erin Classen, Madison Lyon and Hannah Slyth.
