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Sithumli Mendis of Gateway College Colombo delivered a remarkable performance in Melbourne, bringing pride to Sri Lanka with strong finishes at two major junior squash tournaments.
Competing in the Australian Junior Open (Girls’ U17) from April 12–16 and the Oceania Junior Open Squash Championship from April 17–19 at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, Sithumli impressed with her consistency, fighting spirit, and tactical strength against top-ranked international opponents.
At the Australian Junior Open, she finished as second runner-up in a competitive 32-player draw. Her campaign included a hard-fought five-set win over New Zealand’s Maebh Manning, a straight-sets victory against Australia’s Chelsea Paule, and a major upset over top seed Olivia van Zon in the quarterfinals.
Although she fell short in the semifinals against Isabella Wilcox, Sithumli bounced back strongly to secure third place with a confident win over New Caledonia’s Agathe Buchon-Laynaud.
Her momentum continued at the Oceania Junior Open, where she entered as the 17th seed in a large field of over 400 players. She stunned the competition by defeating Australian Junior Open U17 champion Isabella Wilcox in straight sets, followed by another strong quarterfinal win over Kayla Clarke.
After a close semifinal loss to New Zealand’s Amalia Ricketts, Sithumli once again claimed third place, overcoming Australia’s Ruby Foo in the playoff.
Her consecutive podium finishes highlight a breakthrough international run, underlining both her growing talent and the strength of Gateway College Colombo’s sporting development programme.
