On July 23, 2024, the World Junior Squash Championships in Houston concluded successfully. 

Egyptian players Amina Orfi and Mohamad Zakaria won the individual women's and men's titles, respectively. 

The women's team championship was unsurprisingly claimed by Egypt, while the men's team champion also hailed from Egypt.

Since the opening of the tournament, hundreds of young squash talents from around the world have competed fiercely on the court. They showcased extraordinary skills, agility, and mental fortitude, delivering a visual feast for the audience and setting numerous records along the way.

In the women's individual event, Amina Orfi defeated her fellow Egyptian, Fayrouz Aboelkheir, with a 3-0 score, becoming the first player to win the World Junior Squash Championships title three times.

In the men's individual event, Egyptian player Mohamad Zakaria defeated South Korean player Joo Young Na with an overwhelming advantage, becoming the youngest male champion in the history of the championship.

A noteworthy highlight of this year's championship was the remarkable performance of South Korean player Joo Young Na. After a surprising 3-2 victory over last year's champion Hamza Khan in the quarterfinals, he went on to defeat Malaysia's Harith Danial, making him the first South Korean player to reach the finals of the World Junior Squash Championships, setting a historic milestone for South Korea.

Additionally, this year marked the first time that both men's and women's team events were held simultaneously. The team competitions were as fiercely contested as the individual events in the first half of the tournament.

In the men's team event, the top-seeded Egyptian team quickly regained their form after an early loss to South Africa. They went on to defeat second-seeded Malaysia, defending champions England, and semifinal debutants Colombia, ultimately facing the history-making South Korean team in the finals.

This year's South Korean men's squash team completely disrupted the established order in the squash world. After defeating host team USA, they became the lowest-ranked team ever to reach the finals. Following Joo Young Na's impressive performance, he and his teammates continued to prove their success was no fluke.

In the women's team event, the Canadian team, led by twin sisters Spring Ma and Ocean Ma, returned to the semifinals for the first time in 37 years. However, they were stopped by the top-seeded Egyptian team in the semifinals.

Led by Caroline Fouts, the US team had a strong start in the semifinals, easily defeating Malaysia and advancing to face the eight-time defending champions, Egypt, in the finals.

After several rounds of competition, the Egyptian team finally stood out in the final and won the crown of the men's team while winning the women's team championship for nine consecutive times.

The successful conclusion of the 2024 World Junior Squash Championships marks another significant milestone in the development of squash. 

We look forward to seeing more young talents emerge in future international competitions, taking the sport to new heights together with us.

Journalist from FindingSquash

Yifan LIAO