Abhitha, Joshua emerge as ‘Most Promising Players’

ABHITHA S h a n r a j S h a n m uganathan and Joshua John Chanthrasegeran were announced as the Most Promising Players at the Negri Sembilan Junior League Squash Grand Final at Seremban Two Sports Complex recently.

The top seeded Abhitha outclassed second seeded Pooja Selvadurai 11-1, 11-4, 11-7 in the girls’ Under-13 final.

Joshua, seeded second, beat sixth seed Wayne Quek Guan You 11-4, 11-2, 11-9 in the boys’ Under-9 final.

It was double joy for Abhitha’s family as her elder brother Mathva won the boys’ Under-13 gold by defeating Addy Yoong Ren Jie 119, 11-3, 11-3.

The eleven-year-old Abhitha, who is a Year Five pupil in SK Seremban 2B, said: “I took up squash three years ago when I noticed my seniors in school winning medals.”

On the other hand, Joshua who studies in Year 3 at SJKT Bandar Rinching in Semenyih, said: “I love this sport because it has fast paced movements on the court.”

Negri Sembilan Squash Racquets Association president S Thiagarajah gave away the prizes to the winners.

Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia deputy president Nik Razeen Daud: “Since the junior league is successful, today we are introducing Squash57 which is a racquet ball game for adults, an easier indoor sport compared to the fast-paced badminton, tennis or squash.

“Penang and Kuala Lumpur have been playing this game for a long time.

“The game uses the 57mm ball

hence its name and Dunlop Malaysia has donated two racquets and a box of balls to each state association where Negri is the first recipient.”

RESULTS (seeding in brack

ets):

Boys’ Under 9: Joshua John Chantharasegeran (2) bt Wayne Quek Guan You (6) 11-4, 11-2, 11-9 ;

Girls’ Under 9: Vimietha Prakash (1) bt Intan Syahirah Mohamad Nizam (2) 11-4, 11-2, 11-5 ;

Boys’ Under 11: Qayyum Adam Khairul Hilmi (1) bt Anil Prakash (3) 11-5, 8-11, 4-11, 12-10, 11-8 ;

Girls’ Under 11: Darshinie Shanker (7) bt Thivashini Ganeeswaran (8) 11-3, 11-5, 11-7 ;

Boys’ Under 13: Mathva Shanraj Shanmuganathan (3) bt Addy Yoong Ren Jie (6) 11-9, 11-3, 11-3 ;

Girls’ Under 13: Abhitha Shanraj Shanmuganathan (1) bt Pooja Selvadurai (2) 11-1, 11-4, 11-7 ;

Boys’ Under 15: Kishovarmand Perumal (3) bt Marcus Hon Wei Yang (5) 11-4 ,11-4, 11-2 ;

Girls’ Under 15: Qistina Ain Khairul Hilmi (1) bt Iffah Nadhirah Mohamad Nizam (2) 11-8, 11-4, 11-7. Solomon Samuel