Kuala lumpur: Kedah's Aqil Mirza Naim Khairil has emerged as the nation's leading boys under-19 squash player after securing the title at the National Junior Championships 2026 at the Jalan Duta Squash Centre today. Aqil Mirza, displaying remarkable mental resilience, overcame a two-game deficit to defeat Sarawak's Altamis Aqhar Sallam A Sufian with scores of 4-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-7 in a 56-minute final.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, this victory marks Aqil Mirza's successful debut in the boys U-19 category, having previously won the boys U-17 title last year. The 17-year-old attributed his win to his strategy of extending rallies to exhaust his opponent. "I tried to keep the rallies going longer and stay mentally strong so that he (Altamis) would get tired. Hopefully, I can win it again next year," Aqil Mirza shared with reporters after his victory.

In the girls' U-19 category, Sarawakian Whitney Isabelle Wilson claimed victory over defending champion Haneesha Veerakumar from Negeri Sembilan. Whitney secured her win with scores of 11-4, 9-11, 11-4, 11-6 in a brisk 26-minute match. Whitney, also 17, expressed her delight in defeating Haneesha and shared her relief that her strategies were effective.