TAY Jun Qian received a boost ahead of his debut appearance at the British Junior Open in January by winning the redOne Selangor Closed Squash Championships in Petaling Jaya yesterday.
Jun Qian, the top seed, defended his boys’ Under-15 title by beating Harold Rynesh Aloysius 11-2, 13-11, 11-4.
The 14-year-old said his parents, Tay Kim Hong and Tan Poh Ley, and redOne will be sponsoring his trip to play in the British Juniors.
“I am happy to get the chance to play in the British Juniors. My parents want me to gain exposure playing against the top juniors in the tournament,” said Jun Qian who will compete in the Under-15 event in Birmingham.
“I am looking forward to playing against the Egyptians who have been very strong in the junior events. My target is to finish among the top four.”
In the boys’ Under-17 final, Aidan Yunus defeated Ang Lin Shan 11-9, 11-6, 9-11, 11-4 for the crown.
The 15-year-old, whose father Farid Yunus is the Selangor SRA president and redOne Network chief executive officer, began playing badminton and tennis during his primary school days before switching to squash four years ago.
“I have tried out all racquet sports but prefer squash. I want to focus on my studies as well. I would like to continue playing squash at the university and club level if I further my education in the United Kingdom,” he said.
In the men’s open, S. Sunil Kumar secured the title after beating Kerwin The 11-9, 11-7, 11-5 in the final.
