MUSCAT: The Oman's national junior squash team concluded a valuable international campaign at the 2026 China Junior Open Championship which took place in Shandong, China, from July 15 to 19. The tournament brought together nearly 500 young players from 15 countries and regions, providing Oman's rising talent with an important opportunity to compete against some of Asia's strongest junior squash players.
The championship, which was hosted at the Shandong Jining Confucius School Squash Hall, recognised as an Asian Squash Federation (ASF) Silver-tier event, attracting participants from leading squash nations including China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, Egypt, the United States and Canada. The competition featured age-group categories from Under-9 through to Under-19, recording one of the highest participation numbers in the tournament's recent history.
Oman was represented by promising junior player Sultan bin Nidhal al Ghaithi, who competed under the guidance of national coach Salim bin Sultan al Maqbali. The championship formed part of the Oman Squash Committee's ongoing efforts to expose its young players to high-level international competition and accelerate their technical development through regular participation in prestigious regional tournaments.
Al Ghaithi competed in the Under-13 category, where he faced a challenging opening-round match against China's Luo Tianyi, one of the country's leading junior players in the age group. Despite a determined effort, the Omani youngster was defeated in three straight games, with the Chinese player claiming victory 11-4, 11-5, 11-0. Although the result did not go in Oman's favour, the experience was viewed as an important milestone in the young player's development, allowing him to measure himself against one of the region's strongest junior competitors.
Beyond the official competition, the Omani delegation also took advantage of the opportunity to participate in additional training sessions alongside several nationally ranked Chinese players. These sessions enabled Sultan al Ghaithi to experience a different training environment, improve his match awareness and gain valuable exposure to the high standards required at the international level. National coach Salim bin Sultan al Maqbali described the championship as an extremely beneficial experience for the player despite the early exit from the competition. "The tournament featured highly skilled players from several leading squash nations, including Malaysia, Macau and Egypt, making the level of competition extremely strong across all age categories," Al Maqbali said.
"Our player had the opportunity not only to compete in the championship but also to train with players who are ranked among the best juniors in China. These sessions gave him valuable experience and helped him adapt to the atmosphere and intensity of major international tournaments."
The coach believes that such experiences play a significant role in the long-term development of young athletes. "Competing against top-level players allows our athletes to understand the technical, physical and mental demands of international squash. This experience will certainly motivate Sultan to dedicate more effort during his future training sessions and continue improving both his technical skills and physical fitness." he ended
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