Asian Junior Team Squash: India eyes top show

CHENNAI: The India teams will be determined to go all the way in the 21st Asian Squash Junior Team Championships that will be hosted at the Indian Squash and Triathlon Academy here from Wednesday to Sunday.

Organised by the Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) and HCL, the championships, which will be held for the fifth time in the country, will witness participation from 10 countries – 10 teams in Junior Men and 8 teams in Junior Women.

In the Junior Men’s category, India is seeded second while defending champion Pakistan is the top seed. India is seeded third in the Junior Women’s category, with defending champion Malaysia getting the top billing in that section.

The 10 teams in the Junior Men’s category have been divided into two groups, with the top-two sides in each pool progressing to the semi-finals. The eight teams in the Junior Women’s category have been segregated into two groups, with the top-two sides in each pool qualifying for the last-four stage.

Having already made waves at the senior level, the 14-year-old Anahat Singh, India’s top-ranked player in the Junior Women’s squad, will be the star attraction.

INDIA SQUADS: Junior Men: Krishna Mishra, Paarth Ambani, Shaurya Bawa and Sharan Punjabi. Junior Women: Anahat Singh, R Pooja Arthi, Yuvna Gupta and Tiana Parasrampuria

GROUPS: Junior Men: A: Pakistan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Kuwait; B: India, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore and Chinese Taipei. Junior Women: A: Malaysia, Japan, South Korea and Chinese Taipei; B: Hong Kong, India, Singapore and Sri Lanka