What went wrong for Pakistan at World Junior Squash Championship

LAHORE: Once a titan in the world of squash, 21^st century saw the “Green Kings of Courts” flounder. This was no different to how the young Pakistan players recently performed at the World Junior Squash Championship.

Three of its four representatives stumbled in the very first round, casting an early shadow on the nation’s campaign. While Abdullah Nawaz provided a glimmer of hope, the performance of the broader contingent raises questions, especially given recent success in other junior tournaments.

Read more: Pakistan beat India; bag 7 medals at Asian Junior Squash Championship

Abdullah Nawaz’s success

Only Abdullah Nawaz advanced part the first round by securing a win over Macau’s Kang Leung in the round of 128. He will face Canada’s Rohan Paliwal in the second round.

Nawaz has been a prominent junior talent, previously defeating Wong Wing Kuen of Hong Kong in straight games at the Asian Junior Squash Championship 2025, where he reached the semi-finals in the Boys U19 category.

Other junior players’ performance

Nawaz’s promising sta5rt was largely overshadowed by the early exists of his teammates. Umair Arif was defeated 3-0 by Hart Robinson of the US.

This comes after Umair Arif had a strong showing at the Asian Junior Individual Championships; he overcame Hong Kong’s Lau Pak To 3-0 in the Boys U17 category.

Yahya Khan also fell to the US side, losing 3-1 to Muhammad Haq. He had also previously squandered a two-game lead against Malaysia’s Ivan Chang Jia Yu at the Asian Junior Championships.

Anas Ali Shah was ousted after a 3-1 loss to Hong Kong’s Justine Na Cheng. He won against Indonesia’s Muhammad Razka Idhmi Sulaeman at the Asian Junior Individual Champion sups, advancing to the pre-quarter-finals.

Following their main round defeats, Umair Arif, Yahya Khan, and Anas Ali Shah will now compete in the plate round matches. This provides an opportunity for them to gain more international experience, though it’s a step down from the main draw competition.

What Went Wrong?

Pakistan’s early struggles at the World Junior Championship is rather perplexing when viewed against its recent track record. Just weeks ago, Pakistani junior players performed “remarkab[ly]” at the 32^nd Asian Junior Squash Championship 2025, with five players reaching the semi-finals and the country securing two gold, two silver, and one bronze medal in the main events; it also won two plate division titles.

Even more recently, at the Australian Open 2025, Pakistan performed well. The Ali sistersm Mahnoor and Mehwish, won titles in the Girl U13 and U17 respectively; Sehrish Ali reached the U15 final.

In the boys’ categories, Azaan Ali Khan lifted the Boys U17 title while Ahmed Ali Naz claimed the Boys U11 title.

Read more: Pakistan’s Noor Zaman brings U-23 squash crown home

The disparity in performance between these regional successes and the initial stumble at the World Junior Champion could point to several factors.

The World Junior Championship is a more competitive tournament compared to regional events. The pressure of the world stage might have played a role.

The potential differences in playing conditions or better skilled players from non-Asian federations could also be Pakistani junior players’ kryptonite.