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WORLD JUNIOR SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIPS, CHENNAI
2009
Cyrus Poncha looks at the Championships
A New Concept for the World Juniors ...
This is a special world junior championship. For the first time
in its history we are having an additional individual event.
Since its inception the world juniors have been held biennially.
Junior men (Individual and team) one year, and junior women
(Individual and team) the following year.
A 17 year old junior playing in the championship may peak only
the following year, however as no championship is scheduled for
that the youngster misses out on an opportunity to do well and
perhaps become a world champion.
So the SRFI began a campaign to have an annual individual event
included in the WSF calendar. After some deliberation at the
highest level in the WSF, the proposal was finally accepted.
India was given the honour of organising the inaugural
stand-alone junior championship.
This year it will be the world junior women’s individual and
teams event whilst the boys will be an individual event only.
Next year it will be the world junior men’s individual and team
event and the girls an individual event only. The team event
remains a biennial event.
Individual Championship
The 13th World Junior Women’s Squash Championships will be held
from 29 July - 2 August 2009.
This year in the junior women’s individual event Indian squash
is proud of the fact that their No.1 junior player Dipika
Pallikal (also ranked 48 in WISPA) has been given top
billing, and is favourite to take over from Raneem El Weleily,
winner of the last two championships.
Three years ago the SRFI had the foresight to bid for this event
knowing that they will be developing a crop of young girls who
could excel in the championships. Dipika who started her career
at the Indian Squash Academy will expect strong opposition from
second seed Heba El Torky from Egypt and 3/4 seeds
Laura Gemmell from Canada and Egyptian Nour El Tayeb.
The 16th World Junior Men’s Individual Championship will be held
concurrently with the women’s individual from 28 July - 2 August
2009.
In the individual junior men’s event defending champion
Mohamed El Shorbagy from Egypt has taken his rightful place
as the No.1 seed. At 17 in the PSA rankings, Shorbagy becomes
the highest ranked player to participate in a world junior
championship and could become only the second player to win this
title twice after Ramy Ashour, winner in 2004 and 2006 (not
taking into consideration the fact that Jahangir Khan was
a world amateur senior champion as a 15 year old). Seeded two is
Ivan Yuen from Malaysia for whom Chennai is a favourite
hunting ground having won the Asian Junior title earlier this
year. Seeded 3/4 are Karim Abdel Gawad & Andrew Wagih
Shoukry, both from Egypt.
Team Championship
The 16th World Junior Women’s Team Squash Championships will be
held from 3 - 8 August 2009. The junior women’s team event
follows on immediately after.
With all their girls featured in the top 16 seedings, the
Egyptian team have secured top billing. India who
attained the 9th position in 2007 with Dipika, Surbhi, Anwesha
and Harita being the team members are all eligible this year.
The SRFI will announce its final women’s squad during the
individual event. This year the Indian girls have been given an
interim seeding of four behind Egypt, Malaysia and
Canada.
And also ...
Dr. M.S.Gill, Minister
of Youth Affairs and Sport will inaugurate the championships at
the Hotel Taj Mount Road on 28 July 2009 at 1930hrs. Shri.
Suresh Kalmadi, President Indian Olympic Association and
Member of Parliament will release the championship souvenir
which will be received by Shri. K.S. Sripathi, Chief
Secretary, Govt. of Tamil Nadu. Shri. Sripathi will also give
away the prizes on 2 August 2009 to the individual world
champions at the Indian Squash Academy. The trophies for the
team championship on 8 August will be given away by Shri. K.
P. Jain, Director General of Police and Shri. N.
Ramachandran, President World Squash Federation, at the
Indian Squash Academy.
On 6th & 7th August 2009, the Management Committee and
Executive Committee of the World Squash Federation will meet
in Chennai for the first time to discuss the Olympic bid and
other administrative matters. |
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