Royal’s squash king set to battle world’s best
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Matheesha Wijesekara
This will be Sri Lanka’s first appearance at the World Juniors in two years. The last to fly the flag was Nevindu Lakman in 2022, in Australia. Now, it’s Matheesha’s turn to grab the spotlight.
The young racquet star has been in red-hot form this season. He recently defended his Under-19 title at the Yeti Open Squash Championship in Ratmalana, organised by Sri Lanka Squash. It was his sixth title on the trot in this age group — proving he’s the king of his court.
Soon after that, Matheesha packed his bags and jetted off to Singapore for the Henri Charpentier Lion City Junior Open 2025, from May 31 to June 4. Against a tough international field, he held his ground and finished a solid seventh overall. Along the way, he pulled off a fine win in the pre-quarter-finals by beating Ting To Brogan of Hong Kong, punching his ticket into the last eight.
Seeded 14th out of 32, Matheesha showed plenty of fighting spirit and proved he can mix it with the best in Asia. Up next, he’s preparing for another big test — the 32nd Asian Junior Individual Squash Championship in Gimcheon, South Korea, from July 1 to 5. It’s a perfect warm-up before he takes big stage in Cairo.
But while he’s winning matches on court, Matheesha faces a tough battle off it. Despite his growing success, he’s searching for a sponsor to help him cover the heavy costs of travelling to these international tournaments.
Adding heart to his story, Matheesha’s father is a war hero, having served Sri Lanka bravely during the country’s long fight to defeat terrorism. Now, the family is rallying behind Matheesha as he carries the hopes of a nation.