Andy Devaney
Birmingham is about to do what it’s quietly become rather good at: host a proper sporting week that turns a city into a meeting point for ambition, nerves, and teenagers who hit a squash ball like it owes them money. The British Junior Open centenary is here, and the numbers alone tell you this isn’t just another junior event with a nice programme and a few proud parents in the stands.
The 2026 Alpha Bravo Construction British Junior Open runs from 2–6 January, with over 700 players arriving from more than 50 nations. A hundred editions in, it remains one of the world’s most prestigious junior squash tournaments — and after nine straight years in the city, Birmingham doesn’t just host it; it owns it.
Local seeds, local pride — and a few names to remember
Home interest is not a token gesture this year. Edgbaston Priory Club is represented by 9/16 seed Siona Mishra (GU13) and 17/32 seed Kai Miller (BU15). Mariam Eissa (GU17), playing out of Kenilworth Squash Club, comes in seeded 5/8 and will be eyeing the kind of week that turns a promising junior into the person everyone starts avoiding in draws.
There’s also an intriguing Midlands-by-way-of-Kent plot line in the BU19s. Dylan Roberts, originally from Kent, has relocated to train under elite coach Rob Owen and is seeded 5/8. In the same age group, Solihull local Ismail Khalil sits at 17/32— and if that surname rings a bell, it should: Ali Khalil, Ismail’s brother, is also seeded 17/32, alongside Matthew Hong Li Keung, the Gloucester player who won the boy’s Rising Star award at this year’s England Squash Awards.
And in Boys Under 17, England has three players seeded in the top eight: George Griffiths, Gabriel Chak and Luke McBride. That’s not subtle. That’s depth.
The centenary curtain-raiser: a glass court, a former winner, and a world top-20 test
The opening day offers something a bit richer than “welcome remarks” and a polite rally. On the all-glass court at the University of Birmingham, there’s an exhibition match between two former winners: England’s Jonah Bryant versus Malaysia’s Eain Yow, who is currently ranked 17th in the world.
Bryant has recently moved into professional squash and now trains in Birmingham. Eain Yow arrives as a fully-formed senior threat. Both have started their senior careers sharply and come into this one in form — the sort of match that gives juniors a very clear message: this sport has a ladder, and it’s steep.
Five venues, one city-wide festival of squash
The scale of the British Junior Open squash week is reflected in the spread of venues. Matches will be hosted across five sites:
- University of Birmingham Sport and Fitness
- Edgbaston Priory Club
- West Warwickshire Sports Complex
- Sutton Coldfield Squash Club
- Stourbridge Lawn Tennis and Squash Club (joining the roster this year)
It’s a proper multi-venue operation — the kind that makes the tournament feel like it’s happening everywhere, because it is.
England Squash: centenary isn’t just a milestone — it’s a statement
England Squash CEO Mark Williams is pitching this as both a future-facing launchpad and a nod to what a century of tradition actually means in sport. He said: “For 100 years, the BJO has provided a stage where future legends are born, and this year’s centenary edition promises to be the most exciting yet.
“We’re proud to welcome the world’s best young squash players to Birmingham for what will be a truly historic event full of top-class competition, unforgettable moments and global camaraderie.
“This is more than just a tournament; it’s a celebration of a legacy that has shaped the sport for generations.”
That’s not marketing fluff. For juniors, the BJO can be a calling card. For the sport, it’s a reminder that the next era doesn’t arrive with a trumpet — it arrives with a drawsheet.
A title sponsor through 2029 — and Birmingham stays at the heart of it
England Squash has also recently announced Alpha Bravo Construction as the official Title Sponsor until 2029, beginning with this centenary competition. Stability matters in junior sport; it’s how events keep standards high, venues committed, and athletes properly served. The BJO has been held in Birmingham for nine consecutive years, and the partnership signals that the tournament’s future is being treated with the seriousness its history deserves.
How to follow the British Junior Open squash week
For full information — including how to watch live — the tournament directs fans to: www.britishjunioropen.com.
If you care about what squash looks like in five years’ time, this is where you’ll see it first.
