As reported by Squash Canada, the 2024 Pan American Junior Squash Championships in Quito, Ecuador have ended, and Team Canada has come away with four bronze medals. The Championship, which ran from June 16-22, featured individual men’s and women’s, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles, men’s team, and women’s team events.
The Canadian contingent, comprised of Anderson Brown (BC), Ella Cao (BC), Zoe Chong (ON), Veera Dhaliwal (BC), Alyssa Ho (AB), Ethan Jain (ON), Liam McKay (ON), and Calder Murray (AB) were coached by Tyler Osborne and Alix Younger.
In the Women’s Individual event Ho [5/8] defeated the number one seed Tabita Hernandez from Guatemala winning 3-2 (10-12, 8-11 ,11-9, 14-12, 12-10). Unfortunately, Ho then fell in the semi-final match to Paraguay’s Fiorella Gatti [3/4] 0-3 (10-12, 4-11, 4-11), gaining her a bronze medal in the event.
In the Women’s Doubles event, Ella Cao and Veera Dhaliwal [3/4] competed against Colombia’s Luciana Marinez and Maria Camila Sabogal in the quarter finals. The Canadian pair won 2-1 (5-11, 11-10, 11-7). The ladies then faced Ecuador’s [1] Rafaela Garcia and Sofia Garcia losing 0-2 (5-11, 6-11) earning them a bronze medal.
The Men’s doubles event saw Canada gain another bronze medal in doubles. Canada’s Anderson Brown and Liam McKay [3/4] faced the Caymen Islands’ Alexander Dailey and Brody Mccomb in the quarter finals, emerging victorious 2-0 (11-3, 11-2). The pair moved on to the semi-finals where they played the United States’ [2] Will Newman and Yasseen Shalaby, unfortunately, losing 0-2 (3-11, 6-11).
The teams event earned the Canadian women’s team a bronze medal. The women’s team competed against Guatemala in the quarter finals, winning 3-0. The women then faced Ecuador in the semi-finals, falling short 1-2.
Ella Cao, women’s doubles and women’s teams bronze medalist and winner of the sportsmanship award commented on her experience at the championships, saying: “It was a thrilling experience, and will be cherished as one of my most favourite memories. I loved playing teams because that was when my peers and coaches cheered the loudest, which was especially prominent when we played the home team Ecuador.”
The Pan American Junior Championships is a career-defining moment for young athletes and is no doubt an experience of a lifetime for the Canadian Juniors who competed. Squash Ontario and Squash Canada congratulates the athletes on their medals and for representing the Maple Leaf!
Full results can be found here for the individual, doubles, and mixed doubles events, or the team events.