2023 World Junior Championships Team Announcement

Squash New Zealand is excited to announce the 12 junior players selected to compete in the 2023 WSF World Junior Squash Championship, held on 18-29 July in Melbourne, Australia.

This year the girls will compete in the individual and team event, with the boys competing in the individual event only.  The girls and boys team championships are contested bi-annually on alternating years.

The girls team is an exciting group of talent, with a number of the girls being selected for the World Junior Squash Championships for the second year in a row. The four team players are Ella Lash (Auckland), Sophie Hodges (Waikato), Anabel Romero-Gemmell (Central) and Anne Leakey (Auckland), all with a range of international experience have competed in France last year.  Rounding out the squad, two additional players will compete in the individual championships, with Wellington’s Maiden-Lee Coe competing in her second championships, while 16-year-old Ella Hill, from Tauranga’s Devoy Squash & Fitness Centre will be making her debut. 

The New Zealand boys individual competitors include Chris Hebberd (Canterbury), Oliver Dunbar (Wellington), Apa Fatialofa Jr (Auckland), Freddie Jameson (Northland), Shane Buckle (Auckland), and Connor Hill (Waikato).  Jameson, Buckle, Hebberd and Hill will all make their first appearance at a World Junior Championships while Dunbar and Fatialofa return to the squad following last year’s event in France. 

The vastly experienced coaching team for the girls includes former professional international players Emma Millar and Tamsyn Leevey. "We are looking forward to working with the girls again after last year's World Junior campaign where 5 of the 6 girls in this year's squad competed. It is exciting to be able to support the team as they each step up to represent New Zealand for the first time in the teams event at the World Junior Championships after the 2021 event was cancelled. Having the tournament being held in Melbourne enables a stronger Kiwi contingent of supporters to travel to the event which will be fantastic, as well as being in an environment that is similar to home for the duration of the event."

The boys team is led by the 2022 New Zealand Commonwealth Games team coach Paul Hornsby. “I’m really excited to work with the six selected boys over the coming months in preparation for the big challenge ahead in Australia. It’s always a huge honour and privilege to be involved in a world championships event and I’m sure it will be a great experience for everyone involved”.

The 2023 players are:

NZ Junior Girls team:

Ella Lash (Auckland)

Sophie Hodges (Waikato)

Anne Leakey (Auckland)

Anabel Romero Gemmell (Central)

Girls team reserve and individual championships competitiors:

Maiden-Lee Coe (Wellington)

Ella Hill (BOP) 

Boys’ Individual Championships competitors:

Oliver Dunbar (Wellington)

Apa Fatialofa (Auckland)

Chris Hebberd (Canterbury)

Shane Buckle (Auckland)

Freddie Jameson (Northland)

Connor Hill (Waikato)

Coaches

Emma Millar (Waikato) – Girls Lead Coach

Tamsyn Leevey (Central) – Girls Assistant Coach/Manager

Paul Hornsby (Auckland) – Boys Lead Coach