INCHEON, Korea, August 17 (ePRESS) – Gateway College’s Sithumli Mendis claimed her third international squash award after finishing Classic Plate runner-up at the 19th Korea Open Junior Squash Championships 2026, held in Incheon, South Korea, from August 12 to 15.
Sithumli opened her campaign in impressive fashion, defeating South Korea’s Ji Won Won in straight games, 11-5, 11-3, 11-4.
She then faced Malaysia’s J. M. Balasingam in her second match. Sithumli fought hard but went down 9-11, 7-11, 6-11, 8-11.
However, she bounced back strongly in the Classic Plate competition.
Sithumli defeated South Korea’s Mun Ha-ram 11-8, 12-10 before overcoming another Korean player, Doeun Kim, 11-7, 11-6 in the semi-final to book her place in the final.
In the Classic Plate final, Sithumli faced South Korea’s Jane Lee. She put up another strong fight but lost 7-11, 11-4, 8-11 to finish as runner-up.
The Korea tournament attracted young players from the United States, South Korea, Canada, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, China, Hong Kong China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Macao China, Australia, Qatar and the United Kingdom.
The latest success adds another important achievement to Sithumli’s growing squash career and marks her third international award.
She also enjoyed an impressive run at the 37th Junior National Squash Championships in Sri Lanka last month, where she finished runner-up in the Girls’ Under-17 event and secured third place in the Girls’ Under-19 category.
Her strong performances at the Junior Nationals also earned her the Most Promising Junior Girl Player of the Year 2026 award.
The young Sri Lankan produced a determined performance against strong international opposition at a tournament which attracted players from 18 countries and regions.
