Two squash playing siblings from Kenilworth go into forthcoming British Junior Open with high hopes

Two squash playing siblings from Kenilworth will be going into the forthcoming British Junior Open with high hopes.

Junior squash players from around the world will travel to Birmingham for the event taking place from January 3-7. This comes at an exciting time for the sport, as these players can now be considered Olympic hopefuls, following the announcement that squash will be included in the LA28 Games.

Siblings Abd-Allah (BU19’s) and Mariam Eissa (GU15’s), from Kenilworth but now train and live in Stratford, London, will have lofty expectations for the tournament. Abd-Allah, seeded 9/16, won the boy’s U13 category at the Open in 2019, while Mariam, seeded 5/8, is looking for her first British Open victory having won the Dutch Open (GU11’s) and multiple national championships.

The event will see numerous players from the Midlands taking part, with Solihull’s Ismail Khalil seeded 9/16 in the boy’s U17s, having finished in fifth place at last year’s Open, in the U15 category. Meha Shah (GU19’s) and Siona Mishra (GU11’s), who train at Edgbaston Priory Club, along with Nuneaton’s Ameerah Ismail (GU15’s), will be hoping to do the region proud in their respective categories.

The English players will face tough competition from across the globe, particularly from Egypt. The North-African nation is extremely well-represented at the tournament, with a total of six number one seeds, five number two seeds, and twelve 3/4 seeds across the ten age categories. The nation has dominated previous Opens and look set to be the team to beat once again.

England Squash CEO Mark Williams spoke about the British Junior Open and how important it is to the sport. He said: “We are looking forward to another fantastic event featuring the best young squash players from all over the world and we are delighted that so many players are travelling to Birmingham once again to complete.

“We are very proud of the prestige and heritage of the British Junior Open and it is hugely exciting to remember that the winners will be etching their names into squash history, alongside so many famous players that have gone on to excel on the world stage.”

The Open has been hosted in Birmingham since 2018 having been Sheffield-based previously and the event will take place across four venues, Edgbaston Priory Club, University of Birmingham Sport and Fitness Centre, Solihull Arden Club and West Warwickshire Sports Club.

For more information, including how to watch the games, visit: www.britishjunioropen.com, or to find out how children can get involved in squash locally, visit: www.squashstars.co.uk