Five-star Pakistan: Young squash prodigies clinch five medals at Asian Junior Championships
Five-star Pakistan: Young squash prodigies clinch five medals at Asian Junior Championships
By Nawaz Gohar ; Pakistan’s young squash prodigies delivered a spectacular performance at the 33rd Asian Junior Individual Squash Championships 2026, securing a remarkable haul of five medals, including two golds, one silver, and two bronze.
Demonstrating incredible efficiency, Pakistan sent a streamlined 8-member contingent across various age categories, with five players successfully climbing the podium.
In the Boys Under-17 final, Nauman Khan put on a masterclass of resilience and skill. After dropping the first game, Nauman staged a brilliant comeback to defeat India’s Shiven Agarwal 3-1 (10-12, 11-7, 11-2, 11-5) in an intense 46-minute battle.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Rayyan Khalil utterly dominated the Boys Under-15 category. He dismantled Malaysia’s PNG Vidhurran Ruthiran in straight games, 3-0 (11-7, 11-3, 11-4), wraping up the final in a clinical 29 minutes to claim Pakistan’s second gold.
In the Girls Under-15 final, Mahnoor Ali fought valiantly but narrowly missed out on gold, securing a hard-earned Silver Medal after a fiercely contested 0-3 defeat against China’s Ziyuan Yin (10-12, 9-11, 10-12).
Adding to the tally, Muhammad Umair Arif (Boys U-17) and Muhammad Sohail Adnan (Boys U-15) put on stellar performances throughout the tournament to bring home two Bronze Medals.
The Pakistani campaign also saw commendable depth, with Abdullah Nawaz and Mustafa Khan showcasing great grit to reach the tournament quarterfinals. In the girls’ division, Sehrish Ali made a strong run to the third round before bows out in a rare, high-stakes sisterly showdown against Mahnoor Ali.
