Richmond squash players thrived at the 2019 Canadian Junior Open at Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario, returning home with a number of podium finishes.
The five-day tournament featured premier junior talent from across the country and beyond. The local contingent was led by Gabriel Yun and Ocean Ma with victories in their respective divisions.
Yun, 16, showed why he is considered one of the top up-and-coming talents in Canada by capturing the highly competitive U17 boys division. The Vancouver College student prevailed in a draw that featured 62-players in a single knockout format.
He now turns his attention to the U.S. Junior Open Championships that get underway on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Ma’s fast ascend into an elite player continued with a victory in the girls’ U13 division. The JN Burnett student finished sixth at the 2018 tourney and has only two years of training under her belt. She defeated her sister Spring 3-0 in the title game — 11-6, 15-13, 11-6.
"Being part of the squash community has brought us wonderful experiences that enrich our lives. We enjoy competing with each other while encouraging each other off the court. We wish we could both play towards a higher level and always end up playing in the finals,” said Ocean.
All three train at the Sport Central-based West Coast Squash Academy under Marco Toriz.
