Alfie Muligan
Egypt continued to showcase their dominance by retaining both the men's and women's World Squash Junior Team Championship titles after securing victories over Malaysia and the USA.
The World Squash Junior Championships bring together the world's best under-19 squash players, with the men's and women's individual championships having taken place from July 20–25 and the men's and women's team championships being contested from July 26–31.
In the opening tie of the day at White Oaks Resort & Spa, Egypt's women's team claimed their 13th World Squash Junior Team Championship title with a commanding 2-0 victory over No.4 seeds Malaysia.
With the finals played in a 1-3-2 string order, Egypt made a tactical adjustment by promoting Malika Elkaraksy to first string in place of Ruqayya Salem.
Targeting an 11th consecutive women's team title, Elkaraksy made the perfect start, racing into a 2-0 lead over Malaysia's Whitney Wilson after taking the opening two games 11-7, 11-5.
The momentum shifted in the third game as Wilson threatened to force a fourth after building a 10-9 lead. However, Elkaraksy showed her composure by saving the game ball before reeling off the next three points to seal a 12-10 victory.
With Egypt one win away from retaining the title, 16-year-old Habiba Rizk stepped onto court to face Malaysia's Doyce Ye San Lee.
After Lee's gruelling five-game semi-final against Hong Kong, China's Tsz Ching Cheung, she struggled to find her rhythm as Rizk quickly established control.
With all the momentum in Egypt's favour, Rizk wrapped up the title with an emphatic 11-2, 11-3, 11-3 victory.
"I'm really grateful to win this title for Egypt for the 13th time with my amazing team," said Habiba Rizk.
“I want to thank the Egyptian Federation and the coaches who helped us reach the final. I also want to thank my family and my coaches back home.
"I'm really grateful to win this title again with this amazing team."
After claiming the opening match, Malika Elkaraksy added: “I’m really happy to win this title with this amazing team. Winning it for the 13th time means everything.
“All thanks to the national team, the coaches and family. I’m so happy.”
Meanwhile, in the men's final, Egypt claimed a historic ninth World Squash Junior Team Championship title with a convincing 2-0 victory over No.2 seeds USA.
Mohamad Zakaria set the tone in the opening match with a straight-games victory over USA's Yaseen Shalaby.
Having been pushed to his limits by France's Amir Khaled-Jousselin in yesterday's semi-final, Zakaria ensured there would be no repeat, taking the opening two games 11-5, 11-6.
The reigning World Junior Individual champion continued to showcase his class in the third, closing out the match 11-4.
The victory meant World No.7 Zakaria completed the last 33 matches of his World Junior career without dropping a single game, a streak stretching back to his defeat to Pakistan's Hamza Khan in the 2023.
With Egypt leading 1-0, No.3 string Seifeldin Refaay faced USA's Brendan Tagliarini in the second match of the tie.
In what proved to be the title-clinching contest, Refaay made the stronger start, taking the opening game 11-3.
From there, the momentum remained firmly with the Egyptian, who doubled his advantage with an 11-5 second game to move his team to the brink of the title.
Refaay maintained his dominance in the third, sealing it 11-3 to secure Egypt's third consecutive men's World Squash Junior Team Championship.
Zakaria said:“It feels amazing and to close it out like this with such a powerful team like these three guys, it’s amazing.
“They’re the best juniors in the world, their level is very high and they are pro players and I think the level was just too far for the rest of the competition.
“I want to thank the coaches and physios and everyone who stood by us. I feel like we did a really good job and to close it out like this is probably how I imagined how I would go out after my junior career.”
Refaay added: "I'm very happy to be here at the World Juniors, especially in the team event. In the individuals you're only playing for yourself, but in the teams we're playing as one, representing the flag of Egypt.
"We're so happy to win this event, and all the credit goes to the Egyptian Federation and our coaches
"They've been there for us every step of the way. I'm very grateful to be here today."
