Malta make historic debut at European Junior Squash Championships

Malta has written a new chapter in its sporting history after making a landmark debut at the European Junior Squash Championships, becoming the first nation in over a decade to join the prestigious event. Competing in the Mixed Under‑15 category, the young trio of Leo Ben‑Ari, Tom Agius and Emma Inglott represented Malta for the first time at this level, marking a major milestone following six years of structured development.

Drawn into a challenging group featuring top‑seeded and eventual champions England, along with Spain, Ireland and Sweden, Malta faced a baptism of fire. Despite 3–0 defeats in the opening matches, the experience offered invaluable exposure to Europe’s highest standards.

The defining moment came against Sweden, where all three encounters went to five sets. Agius produced a historic 3–2 win Malta’s first-ever individual match victory at this level while Ben‑Ari and Inglott pushed their opponents to the limit in narrow 3–2 losses.

Malta closed the week in style with a 2–1 triumph over Norway, thanks to dominant 3–0 wins from Ben‑Ari and Agius. National coach Niall Engerer praised the squad’s progress, noting that the team’s primary target securing a first match win had been achieved, laying strong foundations for the future.

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