Nail-Biting Finish at Junior Inter-Regionals Ignites New Season of Squash in Scotland
An incredibly close finish in the Under 19s age category crowned a superb weekend of squash at Oriam, Scotland’s National Performance Centre, on 2nd – 3rd September in Edinburgh. The first Platinum competition of the 2023-24 season, the Scottish Junior Inter-Regional Team Championships lived up to the hype with a fantastic atmosphere and spirit of competition throughout two days of action.
Scottish Squash proudly welcomed teams from each of the six regions, demonstrating the continued growth of regional squash and reflecting the efforts of local clubs, coaches, volunteers, parents and carers in promoting the enjoyment of squash at junior level. Moreover, the travelling squad from Highlands & Islands included a majority of girls players, highlighting further regional development of women & girls squash.
Age Categories
Under 11s, Under 13s, Under 15s, Under 17s, Under 19s
|
East |
West | Highlands & Islands |
|
All age categories |
All age categories |
All age categories
|
|
Central |
Grampian |
Tayside & Fife |
| Under 11s, Under 13s, Under 15s, Under 19s | Under 11s, Under 17s |
Under 19s |
Day One
With two more teams involved compared to 2022-23 and an increased number of players overall, the growth of the event brought an immediate atmosphere in the squash hall. Saturday action kicked off early with the busy Under 19s schedule straight out on court. A flurry of early wins for East and West in the morning ties indicated where the common battle for top spot would lie, though the Under 11s category was being strongly contested by Central and Highlands & Islands.
The end of Saturday afternoon action saw East and West both take wins in the Under 13s, leaving the teams tied up at 32 points each, with a showdown match scheduled for noon on Sunday. Strong displays by West in the Under 17s and Under 15s had proved too much for the competition, though a string of close ties were still seen through the day, notably Highlands & Islands vs. Grampian (U17s), Central vs. Highlands & Islands (U15s), as well as West vs. Central (U11s). In the Under 19s, it was all to play for at the top with West in the lead, but East with a game in hand on Saturday night.
Day Two
Sunday brought the promise of a tense finish later in the day, though early on West secured first place in the Under 11s with a final win over East and all their matches played. The battle for silver medals came down to Central vs. Highlands & Islands, with the young squad from up north hanging on and taking the win 5 – 13.
A lively crowd watched on from the gantry as the Under 13s final saw East come out on top 13 – 3, a worthy precursor to the impending finish in the Under 19s. In the Under 15s, an untouchable West team (48 pts, not dropping a game all tournament) secured top spot over East (32 pts). Highlands & Islands battled strongly in their final match vs. East in the U17s with the chance of a medal still in play, though the tie ended in a 12 – 6 win for East, as West again won all three matches for first place.
The climax of the second day came with East (42 pts) and West (46 pts) battling on courts 1 + 2 in the Under 19s. West came out strongly and took a 1-2 lead in matches, which left Sam Shannon of East (U17 National Champion) needing a 3-0 win over Harrison Goss-Pastor to snatch the win… result 11-9, 11-6, 11-8 in games and an 11-6 points win for East! If West had won one more game, a points count back would likely have gone in their favour – truly a nail-biting finish; final overall scores: East 53 – 52 West!
After an exciting end to the squash action, a memorable Sunday at Oriam concluded with the presentation ceremony at Court 1 and proud moments as players received their medals (see photos below!). Scottish Squash wish to extend their thanks to all the coaches, parents, carers and supporters for their contributions to the tournament, and congratulations to all players on their achievements representing their region. A further thanks to the superb team at Oriam for their accommodation and support of the event.
View the full results on SportyHQ.
Scottish Squash registered an incredible 29,000 social media views over the weekend of action at the Junior Inter-Regional Championships, did you miss anything?
