London will host the prestigious English Junior Championships (EJC) this month as the top squash juniors from across the country head to the capital.

Squash is the Olympics’ newest sport, set to make its debut at the LA28 Games, meaning many of these young players can now dream of being Olympians. The EJC, run by England Squash, takes place across 9-11 February with five London venues hosting matches.

Jonah Bryant and Amelie Haworth, who won their respective U19 category at the British Junior Championships in October, are the top seeds for this event.

Bryant, from Sussex, will be looking for his eighth EJC title in what may be his final appearance in the competition. The 18-year-old, now already becoming established on the senior stage, is ranked 140 in the world. Haworth, from the Isle of Wight, is after her fourth EJC title and is ranked 148 in the world.

Ismail Khalil, who won the BU15 last year, is the top seed in the BU17 category and expected to face Ronnie Hickling in the final. British Junior Championships GU11 winner, Siona Mishra, is expected to claim the GU11 title.

More than three hundred competitors will take part in the Championships spanning eleven age categories, starting from mixed U9s, up to girls and boys U19s.

England Squash CEO Mark Williams spoke about his excitement for the event. He said: “I am delighted to welcome all players, parents, coaches and supporters to London for what we anticipate will be a fantastic weekend of squash.

“The English Junior Closed is one of the big three’ junior events of the season and I am delighted that we have had such a fantastic entry, with 350 players from all over the country coming to compete for the English junior titles.”

Commonwealth Games champion Gina Kennedy, from London, added: “The English Junior Championships is a brilliant event and was a big part of my junior career. I competed in it every year, and was lucky enough to win it five times, so it was definitely great for my development.

“It’s a really exciting time for the sport following the Olympic Games announcement, so I’m sure it will be another successful event, and it’ll be great to see some of the talent we have coming through.”

Matches will take place at Cumberland LTC, Coolhurst Tennis and Squash Club, Southgate Squash & Racketball Club, Oakleigh Park LTSC and Finchley Manor LTSC. Matches played at Cumberland LTC will also be streamed on YouTube.