British Junior Open To Showcase World's Top Juniors In Sheffield

The Powerplaysports British Junior Open, the world's biggest and longest-established junior squash championships, returns to Sheffield in January for the 12th successive year - and promises to get the New Year off to a flying start!

More than 450 players from 30 countries - including all the major squash playing nations and the first ever entry from the Cayman Islands - will compete in U13, U15, U17 and U19 events for girls and boys.

The 2007 Championships will take place at the city's renowned Hallamshire and Abbeydale Park Squash Clubs from 2-6 January - with the finals being held at Abbeydale on the club's state-of-the-art all-glass show court.

The event is sponsored for the third year by Powerplaysports, manufacturers of high quality sporting goods, specialising in Squash, Tennis and Badminton rackets and accessories.

Alan Edge, Managing Director of Powerplaysports, stated: "We are delighted to sponsor the British Junior Open for the third successive year and are very proud to be associated with the British Junior Open which attracts the leading junior players from around the world.

"Our present future planning centres around junior development and we hope to continue our sponsorship of the British Junior Open in the long term. Powerplaysports are committed to future squash development and sponsor numerous squash players, tournaments and leagues - including the Yorkshire and North West Counties leagues."

Egypt have long been the dominant force in junior squash and last season claimed six out of the eight British Open titles, with record two-times World Junior Champion Ramy Ashour taking the prestigious Drysdale Cup for the British Junior U19 Open title.

The Egyptians are back in force this season, with their other current World Junior Champion Raneem El Weleily spearheading their attack, hoping to go one better than last year and take the Girls' Under 19 title.

The favourite and No1 seed for the Boys' Under 19 event is Pakistan's world No38 Aamir Atlas Khan, runner-up this year. However Aamir is unlikely to have an easy ride and will face stiff opposition from a number of the world's best juniors, including Egyptian Omar Mosaad who beat him in the World Junior semi-finals.

England's seven-times British National Junior Champion Rachel Willmott (Sussex) will be competing in her last British Junior Open and will be keen to sign off in style. Last season saw Joe Lee (Surrey) become the first English finalist since James Willstrop in 2002, and he will head the home talent in the Boys' Under 19 category. Hopes will also be high in the Under 17 event for the recently-crowned British Champion Victoria Bell (Cumbria) - and for Oliver Holland (Nottinghamshire) in the Boys' Under 13 event.

Full event details will be available shortly on the dedicated website www.bjosquash.com, hosted by www.squashsite.co.uk