31st Asian Junior Squash Championships: India off to a strong start in Pakistan

The 31st Asian Junior Squash Championships saw India getting off to a solid start. The tournament is being held in Islamabad, Pakistan, which began on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.

Indians Yusha Nafees and Dhruv Bopana ensured a strong start to the tournament for the country. Yusha Nafees, seeded sixth in the boys U-17 category, beat local Ubaid Ullah. Putting up a brilliant display, he overcame a tough challenge posed by the local contender. Nafees went on to seal a victory with the scoreline reading 11-7, 10-12, 11-5, 11-4.

On the other hand, Dhruv Bopana also made a positive start. Taking on Iranian player Amirreza Alvansaz Yazdi, Bopana put up a commanding show. He dominated the game and registered a convincing victory over the Iranian with a scoreline of 11-4, 11-2, 11-7 in the boys U-13 category.

Beginning their campaigns at the tournament on a positive note, both Yusha Nafees and Dhruv Bopana have now advanced to the second round.

While Yusha and Dhruv were impressive, India faced disappointment in the U-15 category. In the first round, Lokesh Subramani went down to Sim Yeak Wei from Malaysia. He faced a tough challenge as the Malaysian made Lokesh concede with a scoreline of 7-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-2.

Meanwhile, the other Indians in the fray have received first-round bytes.

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31st Asian Junior Individual Squash Championships, Aisa's Youth Squash Showdown

31st Asian Junior Individual Squash Championships in Pakistan (Image Credits: Muneeb Farrukh/X)

The 31st Asian Junior Individual Squash Championships began in Islamabad, Pakistan, on June 25, 2024, and will be held over five days.

As many as 12 countries are taking part in the Asian Junior Individual Squash Championships, organized by the Asian Squash Federation. These countries are - Hong Kong, India, Iran, Japan, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, hosts Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, and Sri Lanka.

The five-day event will see a total of 107 male players, 84 female players, 36 officials, and 44 parents who will be actively involved. All participants will take part in competitive games across four different categories - U-19, U-17, U-15, and U-13, respectively.

The tournament provides a platform for young athletes to showcase their talent and will aim to put up a great show as well. With Inda having started on a bright note, the other players will also look to begin well in their respective matches.

India have traveled to Pakistan with a 11-member squad for the tournament. Here is the complete squad (with seedings in brackets):

Boys – U-17: Yusha Nafees (6); U-15: Shiven Agarwal (2), Lokesh Subramani; U-13: Dhruv Bopana.

Girls – U-19: Nirupama Dubey (5), Shameena Riaz (8); U-17: Unnati Tripathi (6); U-15: Anika Dubey (8), Diva Shah (9); U-13: Aadya Budhia (2); Goushika M (4).