Over this past weekend, 24 Canadian Junior Athletes, 15 of which were from Ontario, travelled to the Arlen Specter Us Squash Centre (Philidelphia, PA) to compete in the 19th Annual Battle of the Border against Team USA. The event was held from August 7-10, where Team USA won the battle. This long-standing event brought together elite Canadian and American players in the U17, U15, and U13 categories.
Since its inception, the Battle of the Border has provided invaluable international experience for young athletes, helping them grow both on and off the court. “Battle of the Border is an extremely important athlete development opportunity for Canadian junior athletes,” said Samantha Cornett, Squash Canada’s Director of Athlete Development. “It is a great training and competition environment and is the epitome of the sport, where we compete and then come together to enjoy the camaraderie of squash. It is my personal favourite event, from when I was a player and now on the leadership side!”
Ontario Athletes in the Spotlight
Ontario was exceptionally well-represented this year, with an impressive 15 athletes and several coaches making the trip. These rising stars displayed skill, resilience, and true sportsmanship across all age groups, taking on strong opponents from Team USA.
Ontario Athletes
Boys U17
Faraaz Khan
Jack Chen
Shaan Jolly
Girls U17
Olivia Bolger
Sasha Lee
Zoe Chong
Boys U15
David Lee
Obie Ryding
Yianni Theodoropoulos
Girls U15
Rayna Tejani
Boys U13
Chase Facchin
Gabriel Chen
Girls U13
Hannah Popatia
Lyvia Han
Shirley Chen
Ontario Coaches
Tyler Osborne (U17)
Chris Sachvie (U15)
Jen Pelletier (U13)