Australia secures 2023 World Junior Championships

The World Squash Federation (WSF) board has awarded the 2023 WSF World Junior Squash Championships to Squash Australia (SqA), with the event to feature junior men’s and women’s individual tournaments and the women’s junior team championships.

The 2023 WSF World Junior Squash Championships will begin an exciting decade of sport for Australia, which will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria and the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.  

Hosting the World Championships is an important step in the Squash Australia Strategic Plan, which prioritises increasing participation in squash on and off the court, from grassroots levels to the elite.

Australia has successfully hosted a number of major WSF events, including the Men’s World Team Championship, the Women’s World Team Championship, the World Junior Championships and the World Masters Championships.

SqA was originally slated to host the 2020 WSF World Junior Championships, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. 

Squash Australia Chief Executive Officer, Robert Donaghue, said hosting a World Championships in Australia will be a big boost for the sport.

“SqA is very proud to be selected to host the 2023 WSF World Junior Championships, welcoming the next generation of squash stars ‘Down Under’ for the first time in nearly 30 years,” said Donaghue.

“We have such a unique opportunity in Australia over the next 10 years with the ‘Green and Gold’ runway to Victoria 2026 and Brisbane 2032. 

“Showcasing the world’s best junior squash talent from 35+ nations is a special opportunity, and we look forward to delivering a memorable tournament,” he added.

WSF President Zena Wooldridge, OBE, said: “I think it’s really important having this as part of the lead up to the Commonwealth Games in Victoria in four years’ time. And indeed the Olympics in Brisbane, they are hooks and they are platforms that Squash Australia are going to use to rejuvenate the sport in Australia. And it’s really needed to bring them back onto the podium. So they will use that effectively.

“We know that they’ve got track record for hosting events very well as well. We should have been there two years ago for our last championship and of course we had to move it. They’re delighted and they’ll do a very good job.

“Plus, it will be lovely to go to Australia! Some of the players won’t have had the opportunity to go to Australia. I’m very much looking forward to it. And I think it’s going to be great for squash.”

The host city and dates for the 2023 WSF World Junior Squash Championships will be released in the coming months. 

Australia’s last junior world championship title came in 1995 in Sydney, when a team of Rachael Grinham, Emma Major, Kate Major and Narelle Tippett won the women’s team event.