By Isabel Lay

Joanne Joseph and Sarbani Maitra continue to share their successes and challenges winning the Australian Junior Open and the Oceania Junior Championships respectively against each other in April.

Off the back of these achievements, the two up and coming squash athletes have earned their shared achievement as Emerging Athletes for May.

Maitra describes the nomination with gratitude and proudness, highlighting the appreciation for her efforts to be recognised, which only motivates her to keep pushing.

Joseph similarly shares the sentiment, particularly in her final year of juniors, noting that ‘it reflects the many years of training and competing that have gone into my junior career’.

The young stars both have so much respect for each other, describing their tournaments with proudness and emphasising their ability to grow the friendly rivalry between the two.

“We leave the competitiveness on the squash court and still have a lot of respect for each other afterwards,” Joseph said.

Maitra echoed the sentiment, proudly mentioning, “we want to see each other do well, so the rivalry is definitely more friendly than anything.”

The pair took their rivalry to the world stage in July, representing Australia at the World Squash Junior Championships in Canada. They helped the Australian women reach a second straight quarter-final before falling to powerhouse Egypt, unbeaten since 2007.

“Reaching the quarter finals together was really special [and] it made every match feel even more meaningful,” Maitra said.

In her final year competing at World Juniors, and notably meaningful as captain, Joseph felt the encouragement to support the team and carry the pride of representing Australia.

Individually, it was the first time in more than a decade where two Australian women had progressed to the Round of 32 at the World Juniors.

“It’s a reflection of how much I’ve developed throughout my junior career,” Maitra said.

Joseph added, “I’m really glad to have helped set the tone for the future of junior Australian girls.”

The pinnacle event of the junior squash world, World Juniors allowed the two young females to lead the charge for other aspiring Aussies in squash.

Both young women spoke about their love for the sport and the way it pushes them as people and as athletes.

Maitra said that squash constantly pushes her to think outside the box and adapt to both sporting challenges and personal goals, focusing on staying hungry and continually working hard. Her approach to the game is guided by a quote from Eileen Gu that she regularly reflects on: “I train like I’ve never won before, and I play like I’ve never lost.”

Jospeh highlighted how squash has taught her about resilience and discipline, while being ever grateful for the opportunities that squash has provided for her.

“I try to really appreciate those moments and use that confidence to keep moving forward,” Joseph reflected.

For Maitra, several people have influenced her approach to squash, most notably her coach, Robyn, who still plays the sport at 82 years old. Robyn has been a significant source of inspiration, reminding Maitra that although life presents challenges, it is always possible to make time for the things you love and to keep pushing yourself to grow.

Maitra also credits her mum for her motivation, providing an abundance of support for her daughter’s dream by building a squash court in her office for easy training after school.

“Everything I achieve in squash is something I want to share with her and dedicate to her,” Maitra said.

Joseph similarly paid tribute to her parents who have inspired her to pick up the sport while providing the upmost support that parents give.

“Their support has shaped not only the squash player I’ve become, but also the way I approach the sport,” Joseph said.

Both Maitra and Joseph have a goal of representing Australia at a Commonwealth Games, with Maitra heavily inspired by the Gold Coast Games in 2018. Both followed on with a dream to play at a home Olympics in Brisbane in 2032.

Outside of squash, both Maitra and Joseph have high interests in pursuing medicine. Maitra is looking towards completing a Doctor of Medicine, with a particular interest in sports medicine with high-performance sport, while Joseph is currently studying a Bachelor of Science, with hopes to eventually pursue a career in medicine.

Maitra also noted the potential of studying classical singing at the Griffith Conservatorium, highlighting the importance of fun, “it’s really important to embrace the fun side of life.”

The two highly driven athletes have both made strides on the national and international stage, pushing each other to be better athletes and people. Their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed and have earned them recognition as Commonwealth Games Australia’s Emerging Athletes for May.