28 countries to compete in World Junior Squash in Chennai

Players from 28 countries, including hosts India, will vie for honours in the World Junior Squash Championship to be held here from July 18 to 29.

The Egyptian contingent led by Marwan Tarek and Rowan Reda Araby, top seeds in the men's and women's sections respectively, will be the players to watch out for.

Matches will be held in team and individual events in both men and women sections.

The cream of junior talent from 28 countries, including India, will be on view with the participation of a total of 171 playeres -- 116 men and 55 women, Tournament Director Cyrus Poncha told reporters here.

In all, 13 Indian plaers, of whom four have featured in the world junior tournament previously, have been chosen with an eye on the future, he added.

In the men's team event, Pakistan is the defending champion and is expected to face a huge challenge from the formidable Egyptian squad, Poncha said.

The Indian team had finished sixth in the previous edition in Poland in 2016 and would face a stiff task to do an encore, he added.

The matches would be played at the Indian Squash Academy courts and the Express Avenue Mall (from the quarterfinals stage).

Members of the Pakistan team, who were granted visas a few days ago, would be reaching the city late on Sunday, the organisers said.

The individual event for men and women runs from July 18 to 23 while the biennial team championship for men would begin on July 24 and conclude on July 29.

The Indian squad: