Pakistan win two golds at Asian Junior Squash Championships 2026 in China

PANZHIHUA: Pakistan’s young squash players delivered an impressive performance at the 33rd Asian Junior Individual Squash Championships 2026 in China, finishing with five medals across multiple age categories.

A total of eight Pakistani players competed in the continental event, with five of them reaching the podium to underline the country’s growing strength in junior squash.

Pakistan clinched two gold medals through Nauman Khan in the Boys U-17 category and Ahmad Rayyan Khalil in the Boys U-15 category.

In the Boys U-17 final, Nauman overcame India’s Shiven Agarwal 3-1, registering a 10-12, 11-7, 11-2, 11-5 victory in a 46-minute contest to secure the title after recovering strongly from an opening-game setback.

Ahmad Rayyan Khalil produced a commanding display in the Boys U-15 final, defeating Malaysia’s PNG Vidhurran Ruthiran in straight games 3-0. He won 11-7, 11-3, 11-4 in just 29 minutes, showcasing complete control throughout the match.

Pakistan also secured a silver medal through Mahnoor Ali in the Girls U-15 category. Despite a spirited effort, she went down narrowly 0-3 to China’s Ziyuan Yin, with scores of 10-12, 9-11, 10-12 in a closely fought 23-minute final.

The national contingent further added two bronze medals, with Muhammad Umair Arif in the Boys U-17 category and Muhammad Sohail Adnan in the Boys U-15 category both securing third-place finishes after strong runs in their respective draws.

Elsewhere, Abdullah Nawaz and Mustafa Khan reached the quarterfinals, while Sehrish Ali progressed to the third round before bowing out.

Pakistan concluded the championship with a total of five medals — two gold, one silver and two bronze — marking a highly successful campaign for the junior squad.