Pakistan’s young squash talent made a powerful statement at the Australian Junior Open in Melbourne on Thursday, securing four gold medals and one silver in a dominant display.
In the Girls U-17 final, Mehwish Ali successfully defended her title by defeating Eden-Alma Poulava in straight sets, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7. The top-seeded Mehwish maintained an unblemished record throughout the tournament, not dropping a single set.
Meanwhile, Azan Ali Khan clinched the Boys U-17 title with a commanding 11-6, 11-4, 11-9 win over Australia’s Henry Kross. Ranked No. 2 in Pakistan in his category as of March, Khan showcased exceptional form to secure the victory.
The Girls U-13 title went to top-seed Mahnoor Ali, who overwhelmed Riyo Kawabata 11-2, 11-5, 11-6 in the final. The 12-year-old, currently Pakistan’s top-ranked player in her age group, mirrored her older sister Mehwish’s performance by going undefeated and winning all her matches in straight sets.
Ahmad Ali Naz added to Pakistan’s gold tally by winning the Boys U-11 final, defeating Australia’s Freddie Goldsmith 3-1. Naz took the first set 11-5, dropped the second 11-2, but quickly regained control to win the next two sets 11-6, 11-6. He is currently ranked No. 1 in Pakistan in his age group.
The silver medal for Pakistan came courtesy of Sehrish Ali, the third of the Ali sisters, who faced Japan’s Emily Senior in the Girls U-15 final. In a fiercely contested match, Senior edged out Sehrish 3-2. The Japanese player won the first set 15-13, but Sehrish bounced back to take the second 11-5. Senior narrowly claimed the third 12-10, while Sehrish responded by winning the fourth 11-6. Ultimately, Senior sealed the title with an 11-4 win in the final set. Sehrish, seeded second, finished with a well-earned silver medal.
This impressive performance follows another recent success for Pakistan in squash—earlier this month, Noor Zaman captured the U23 World Squash Championship title in Karachi, overcoming Egypt’s Karim El Torkey 3-2 after a remarkable comeback.
