2021 AUSTRALIAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS CANCELLED DUE TO ONGOING COVID-19 CHALLENGES

Today Squash Australia and its State and Territory organisations regretfully announced the decision to cancel the 2021 Australian Junior Championships (AJC) scheduled for December 13-19, 2021 in Woden, ACT.

Over the last few weeks Squash Australia has continued to monitor the current metropolitan and regional COVID-19 outbreaks across the country to assess the likelihood of restrictions easing, in order to confidently plan for a rescheduled AJC, after the event had already been postponed from its original dates (Sep 26 - Oct 2, 2021).

The extension of the current ACT lockdown until at least Oct 15 and the uncertainty around the duration of restrictions in the region posed important planning and operational challenges to the event host, even more so considering that some level of restrictions are likely to be maintained after the lockdown period.

Ongoing lockdowns in NSW, ACT and VIC have also affected and continue to significantly impact the preparation of many junior athletes, limiting their opportunities to properly train to compete at a national event and their ability to travel.

In addition, current border restrictions applied by several states, including QLD, WA, TAS, SA and NT, on travellers returning from COVID-19 hotspots have the potential to severely impact AJC participants, placing an additional burden on athletes and families should they be required to comply with quarantine requirements on return.

CEO Robert Donaghue recognised the disappointment this cancellation will create for Australian junior athletes and the squash community at large, but said that all State and Territory organisations supported the decision based on the considerations above.

“Of course it’s a very disappointing outcome, but Squash Australia and all states and territories were in agreement that the AJC should only be held when athletes from everywhere in the country can be given an opportunity to attend and compete.

“We continue to place the safety and wellbeing of our competitors, volunteers and parents as the prime focus and we are committed to ensure that all competitions are conducted in a fair and inclusive manner,” Donaghue said.

Squash ACT President Michael Nuttall said that despite the disappointment, Squash ACT looks forward to hosting the event in the near future.

“Our squash community was very excited about the Australian Junior Championships, even more so after last year, when the event was originally supposed to be held in Canberra and then couldn’t go ahead for similar reasons.

“But the uncertainty of the situation was unsustainable, certainly presenting many difficulties for us but also putting a lot of pressure on State and Territory organisations, athletes and families wanting to participate.

“We hope to have another opportunity in the near future to welcome squash athletes and their families to the Capital, so that they can safely enjoy the event and also everything else a great place like Canberra has to offer to its visitors,” he said.