Kota Kinabalu: Sabah’s junior squash players shone at the 2026 SRAM National Junior Circuit (Second Leg) in Penang, held at the Nicol David International Squash Centre from August 25 to 30.
Muhammad Zidane Zicqree Zairul Anuar captured the Boys’ Under-15 (BU15) title, topping a competitive field of 46 players. This victory also marked a significant breakthrough for Zidane, who improved upon his third-place finish out of 40 players in the circuit’s first leg.
In the Girls’ Under-17 (GU17) category, Amber Kristy Muyou also showed impressive progress to finish as the runner-up. Like Zidane, Amber improved her game from the opening leg, where she had previously finished third.
Alongside the two podium finishes, several other Sabahan players also made significant strides in their national rankings.
Nur Adelia Ezzra Eddy Ezzany climbed ten spots, moving from 24th to 14th place, Queenelle Zoey Herry Kong advanced from 18th to 12th place, Yi Ling Pang Kristen moved up five positions, rising from 33rd to 28th place, Isaac Andy Muyou improved his standing from 23rd to 20th place, Emmanuel Damien Rafshan jumped five spots, progressing from 38th to 33rd place.
Also representing Sabah were Andreas Andy Herry Kong, Nathanielle Baby Herry Kong, Petricia Frananda Ak Peter, Azariah Lojiga Jude Malinggang and Aden Tumunda Jude Malinggang.
Sabah Squash Association hailed the standout performances by Zidane and Amber, along with encouraging progress from fellow players.
The association emphasised that these performances underscore its ongoing commitment to nurturing athletes capable of thriving on both national and international stages.
They added that by consistently providing young talents with exposure to elite competition nationwide, they aim to inspire and equip a new generation of players to ascend to higher competitive levels.
