Squash starlets descend on The Grange for Scottish Junior Open

A bumper 208 players from 30 different countries will compete as the JC Lindsay Scottish Junior Squash Open begins on Thursday.

Alasdair Prott is based at the Oriam Performance Centre. Pic: Paul J Roberts

The tournament – played across the next three days – will see junior players from countries as far afield as South Korea, Japan, USA, Egypt, Malaysia and Ecuador compete in ten different categories of competition from under-11 boys and girls up to the under-19 events.

Alasdair Prott, who trains at the Scottish Squash Academy at Heriot-Watt’s Oriam Perforance Centre, is targeting a successful defence of his Under-17 title when the action gets underway. Prott, 16, who finished runner-up at the British Junior Championships in October, said: “I am really looking forward to the Scottish Open – it’s a great competition.

“I have played it since I was under-11 and won last year. The Grange and Edinburgh Sports Club are really homely so it’s a good atmosphere and I always get the home crowd cheering me on, which is great. The Boys’ Under-17s is a really tough age category and I’m going to have to play at my best to go far in the tournament. I just need to play my own game and if I play to my potential, I am in with a good shout.”