The 4th McDonald’s National Junior Squash Championship in Karachi saw Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Danish Sikandar and WAPDA’s Mehwish Ali lift top honours in the boys’ under-15 and girls’ under-19 singles respectively, reinforcing the growing strength of junior squash in Pakistan.
Danish Sikandar produced a commanding performance in the under-15 final against fellow Khyber Pakhtunkhwa player Abdul Hadi Gul, closing out the match in straight games 11-6, 11-8, 11-0 in just 17 minutes. The win highlighted Danish’s pace and precision on court as he navigated a field that featured a 32-player main draw.
Mehwish Ali, the top seed in the girls’ draw representing WAPDA, overcame Sindh’s Damiya Khan 13-11, 11-4, 11-8. Damiya challenged strongly in the opener, but Mehwish asserted control in the middle games to secure the title and underline her status among Pakistan’s leading junior players.
The boys’ under-11 final produced a tight departmental clash as Pakistan Air Force’s Abdul Rehman Riaz edged teammate Anas Rafi 3-2 with a scoreline of 11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 12-14, 11-6. In the under-9 final Sindh’s Muhammad Aban defeated M. Bin Naseem 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 to claim his category crown.
Organised by the Sindh Squash Association, the championship concluded at the Venus Jahangir Khan Squash Academy at the PSB Karachi Centre and carried total prize money of Rs 800,000. Finals in all categories were played on the concluding day and trophies and prize money were presented by Chief Information Officer Abdul Rehman alongside Sindh Squash Association President Adnan Asad. Other officials in attendance included Director Finance Iftikhar Ahmed, Divisional Manager Marketing Muaz Hanif, SSA Secretary Naveed Rehman and Tournament Referee Muhammad Naseem.
With each main draw featuring 32 players and McDonald’s Pakistan as the event sponsor, the tournament provided a strong platform for emerging talent and offered a clear snapshot of the competitive depth in Pakistan’s junior squash circuit.
