Two Cavaliers Medal at the World Junior Squash Championships
CAIRO – Two incoming Virginia squash freshmen medaled at the 2025 WSF World Junior Squash Championships, held July 21-August 1 at Cairo’s Black Ball Sporting Club in Cairo, Egypt.
In the team competition, Oscar Okonkwo won a silver medal while Charlotte Pastel won a bronze medal. Both were competing with Team USA.
Okonkwo was one of four players to represent the United States in the team competition, helping to lead the Americans to their first-ever World Junior Squash championship match. The American team advanced out of Group B with a 2-0 record to make the Round of 16. Okonkwo went 2-0 in his pool play matches to help the Americans advance. The Americans had a first-round bye, defeating France 2-1 in the quarterfinals and India 2-0 in the semifinals before falling to Egypt 2-0 in the finals. Okonkwo played in the quarterfinal match against France.
Pastel competed for Team USA in the women’s championship, helping the Americans to the bronze medal. The US women advanced out of pool play, going 3-0 in Group C. The Americans defeated France 2-1 in the quarterfinals before falling 2-1 against Hong Kong in the semifinals to earn a bronze medal. Both teams that fell in the semifinals are awarded bronze. Pastel went 2-0 in the pool matches, but was edged in both of her matches in the elimination rounds.
Pastel and Okonkwo also competed in the individual championship before the team tournament. Fellow incoming Cavaliers Juan Irisarri represented Colombia in the individual matches.
Pastel, a 9-16 seed, had a first-round bye and began action in the Round of 64. She advanced to the Round of 16 where she fell against 3/4 seed Nadien Elhammamy of Egypt. Irisarri, a 5-8 seed, fell in the quarterfinals. Okonkwo, a 17-32 seed, fell in the Round of 32.
The tournament included 234 of the world’s best squash talents aged under 19 competing in the individual championships with this pool providing the players for the team tournament.
RESULTS – Individual Tournament
[5/8] Juan Irisarri
R128: Juan Irisarri (COL) def. Murdo Mackenzie (SCO) 11-2, 11-6, 11-5
R64: Juan Irisarri (COL) def. Chanyoung Kim (KOR) 11-2, 11-4, 11-4
R32: Juan Irisarri (COL) def. 17/32 Yusha Nafees (IND) 9-11, 11-4, 11-8. 11-5
R16: Juan Irisarri (COL) def. 9/16 Jack Elriani (USA) 8-11, 13-11, 13-11, 11-6
QF: 3/4 Marwan Assai (EGY) def. Juan Irisarri (COL) 11-6, 11-8, 11-6
[17/32] Oscar Okonkwo
R128: Oscar Okonkwo (USA) def. Maximus Mathews (NZL) 11-3, 11-5, 11-7
R64: Oscar Okonkwo (USA) def. Shiven Agarwal (IND) 11-4. 11-9, 11-3
R32: 5/8 Abdullah Nawaz (PAK) def. Oscar Okonkwo 11-8, 10-12, 11-7, 11-2
[9/16] Charlotte Pastel
R64: Charlotte Pastel (USA) def. Keira Hickox (CAN) 11-6, 11-3, 11-2
R32: Charlotte Pastel (USA) vs 17/32 Sofia Zrazhevska 11-7, 11-9, 13-11
R16: 3/4 Nadien Elhammamy (EGY) def. Charlotte Pastel (USA) 11-3, 11-0, 11-6