Melbourne, Australia — April 2025
Pakistan’s young squash stars made a powerful statement at the Australian Junior Open Squash Championship 2025, held in Melbourne, by clinching four gold medals and one silver across various age categories.
Among the standout names were Mehwish Ali and Sehrish Ali, two of the well-known Ali sisters from Peshawar, who have become symbols of resilience and excellence in Pakistan’s growing squash scene.
Dominant Wins Across the Board
In an extraordinary show of dominance, four of the five Pakistani finalists secured their titles without dropping a single game — all winning in straight sets (3-0).
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Mehwish Ali, the top seed, won the girls’ under-17 final with ease, defeating New South Wales’ Reden Alma Paulava.
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Sehrish Ali, also seeded first in the girls’ under-13 category, triumphed over Queensland’s Ryo Kua Bata in straight games.
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In the boys’ under-17 final, Rawalpindi’s Azaan Ali Khan, seeded second, overpowered New South Wales’ Henry Cross.
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Ahmed Ali Naaz, another second seed, emerged victorious in the boys’ under-12 category by defeating Flee of the United States.
A Hard-Fought Silver
Although Sehrish Ali earned gold in the U-13 category, she narrowly missed a second title in the girls’ under-15 final. After a tightly contested five-game thriller against Japan’s M. Emily Senior, Sehrish had to settle for silver, losing 3-2.
A Rare Feat in Squash History
The performance of the Ali sisters is not just historic for Pakistan but also rare in squash globally. This marks only the third time in international squash history that three biological sisters have reached the finals of a platinum-category event.
A Bright Future Ahead
These results underscore the promising future of Pakistani squash, especially as young players like the Ali sisters and their peers continue to make their mark internationally. With more support and exposure, Pakistan may once again rise to the top of the global squash scene — a legacy once dominated by names like Jahangir and Jansher Khan.
