By Aimi G.
Singapore’s girls squash team has bagged a joint-bronze at the 2025 Asian Junior Squash Team Championships in Hong Kong.
It is the first time they’ve landed on the podium in this event since 2017, and it’s safe to say this result is a huge deal.
Led by 17-year-old captain Saiesha Ranjan, the team also included Naisha Singh and Jayna Lim, both 14, and 13-year-old Jacintha Han.
Missing key players like Ong Zhe Sim, Gracia Chua, Vicky Lai and Swetha Sivakumar, who skipped the tournament due to exams, this team was still ready to fight.
The Republic entered the tournament as fifth seeds and punched above their weight, upsetting fourth-seeded South Korea 3-0 in the group stage to secure a semi-final spot.
Saiesha kicked things off with a thrilling 3-2 victory against Park Sol-min, coming from behind twice to clinch the win and set the tone for the team.
Though they fell to second-seeded Malaysia in the semi-finals, Saiesha praised the team’s resilience.
“We’ve improved a lot as players mentally and physically while preparing for this tournament, so we can take away a lot,” she said to The Straits Times.
The SSRA’s investment in junior squash is showing results.
Since 2020, the national training squad has grown from 20 players to 50, with plenty of international exposure.
Looking ahead, the team is eyeing the Asian Junior Individual Championships in July, the World Squash Junior Championships later in the year, and the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in December.