Group BJO photo in front of glass courtCategoriesEvents

British Junior Open Returns to Birmingham

British Junior Open Returns to Birmingham

Widely regarded as the second most prestigious junior open squash competition after the U19s World Junior Squash Championships, early January saw Sport & Fitness host the 2024 edition of the British Junior Open.

Spectator view of glass courts in Munrow Arena

Welcoming 600 talented young athletes from around the world in U11, U13, U15 and U17 grades, individuals battled it out across five days of competition from 3-7 January.

 

There was a huge buzz across the facility as the Munrow Hall was transformed into a world-class squash glass court, alongside the six current squash courts located on the first floor.

Of the women currently on the world stage, four of the top six have won the BJO U19 title, including the world’s top three players, Nouran Gohar, Nour El Sherbini and Hania El Hammamy. In the current men’s rankings, seven of the top ten have won BJO titles. Day one alone saw 482 matches across 22 courts!

BJO competitors holding backpacks
Two males competing in the glass court
Mascot perry fist bumping children

2024 saw Egypt sweep the board on finals’ day at the British Junior Open, with Mohamed Zakaria and Fayrouz Aboelkheir lifting the Under-19 titles at the University of Birmingham.

 

All ten champions across the five age groups were Egyptian, with six of the deciders being all-Egyptian affairs.

Andy Allford, Director of Sport at the University of Birmingham, said:

 

“It’s been fantastic to work alongside England Squash, Edgbaston Priory and all the partners involved in putting on the prestigious British Junior Open.

“It remains a fantastic fixture for our sporting calendar and congratulations to all this year’s winners, and those who competed, in some cases travelling across the world to our world class facility here at the University.

 

“Squash continues to be hugely important, as one of the University’s seven performance sports, led by head coach John Tate at the highest level of BUCS competition. From recruiting world-class athletes to study and compete here at Birmingham to success on the pitch, we’re already looking forward to what 2024 brings.’

Duty manager Ross putting medal on child
Book a court

“The staff at Sport & Fitness also deserve a notable mention, once again going above and beyond to deliver an international event.”

 

Sport & Fitness has a huge range of squash and racketball opportunities suited to all ages and abilities including: introductory coaching courses, social sessions, recreational and competitive leagues and events.

 

Members can book each of our six glass back squash courts via the app. 

A group of British Junior Open medallistsCategoriesEvents

The British Junior Open 2023: Celebrating Success

The British Junior Open 2023: Celebrating Success

We are proud to have partnered with England Squash to host the prestigious British Junior Open tournament again this year. Bringing together the best junior Squash players from 53 countries for the U19’s tournament, there was a great buzz in the building across the week!

Recognising our Scholars

Two of our first year Scholars took part in the British Junior Open, both with strong Squash backgrounds including rankings in the December 2022 BUCS Individuals and the Professional Squash Association. Hana Ismail is one of our Elite Dual Career Athlete Pathway (EDCAP) Scholars, studying Medical Life and Geo Sciences. Our second Scholar, Olivia Besant, is one of our Squash Scholars who is studying first year Physiotherapy. With Hana finishing in 16th place representing Egypt, and Olivia in 23rd place representing England, they both gave an incredible performance!

Spanning across 5 days, we saw 650 players competing in 552 high-energy games. Our Munrow Arena was transformed with training courts and the main Glass court which was overlooked by hundreds of spectators.

An action shot of two males competing in the British Junior Open in the Glass Court

Tournament Winners

On the final day of tournaments, we saw Finnlay Withington (England) and Amina Orfi (Egypt) claim their well-deserved under 19s titles.  

British Junior Open winners Finnlay Withington (Left) and Amina Orfi (Right) holding their trophies.

A big well done to everyone who took part in the tournament this year, including those who volunteered to help make the event happen!

Interested in playing Squash at UoB? From social squash, to student squash teams, to performance squash, we offer something to suit all levels of abilities and personal goals.