With final preparations underway at the Liguanea Club, Jamaica Squash Association (JSA) president Karen Anderson has shed light on why the 45th All Jamaica Junior and Senior Squash Championships was moved up this year.

“This is the 45th anniversary of the All Jamaica Championships. It’s the pre-eminent event on our Jamaica Squash calendar, and it’s always highly anticipated," Anderson said.

“This year, we shifted it to March around Spring Break for the Americans so that they could participate and also to bring it closer to the summer competition calendar," she added.

The tournament will get underway on Sunday at 11 a.m. with junior matches played simultaneously on three courts. The competition will run for two days, culminating in the crowning of male and female junior champions on Monday.

Among the standout juniors set to compete is Mehar Trehan, the reigning Caribbean U17 champion, who will step up to the U19 division. She will, however, face stiff competition from national players Sanjana Nallapati and Elle Wilson in the Girls’ U19 category. The junior players will also battle across U13, U15, and U17 divisions.

After the juniors wrap up, the senior division begins on Monday, bringing an even higher level of competition.

On the women’s side, defending champion Mary Mahfood is expected to bring her signature speed and power as she aims to retain her title. Meanwhile, in the men’s division, top-seeded Louis Walters will look to defend his number one ranking against challengers number-two seed Bruce Burrowes and number three seeded Tahjia Lumbley, who has been training overseas.

The tournament will also feature Men’s B, Over-40, and Over-50 divisions, along with Women’s B and Over-40 categories.

This year’s championship is sponsored by Grace Kennedy Capital Management, Boilerco, Binds Designs, and Wata, ensuring a high-quality event for both juniors and seniors.