Millfield squash player is U17 English Junior Champion

Millfield squash player Amelie Haworth has become the Under 17 English Squash champion at the age of just 15.

Year 11 Amelie won the AJ Bell English Junior Championships, held at University of Nottingham, without dropping a single game. She won the title three times previously in the U11, U13 and U15 age categories.

Amelie, who started boarding at Millfield in Year 9, went into the competition as the number one seed and favourite for the title. She joined Millfield for its squash programme, run under the expert guidance of Director of Squash and Old Millfiedian, Ian Thomas.

She says, “I think the facilities at Millfield are amazing and I chose to come here for the squash programme. My coaches have been really helpful, they’re the reason I am where I am.”

Director of Squash, Ian Thomas, added, “Amelie’s competitive spirit, athletic abilities and tactical mind makes her a formidable opponent for all her peers. This was an excellent performance, dealing with the pressure of being number one seed.”

Amelie is preparing for the British Junior Championships from 2-6 January, in Birmingham, and hopes to be selected to represent England in the U17 European Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands, next May.

Millfield’s full-time Squash squad train six days a week and there are also regular sessions throughout the week for students of all abilities. Many professional squash players attended Millfield: Mohamed ElShorbagy, world number two (former number one) and Marwan ElShorbagy, world number eight (former world number three), who regularly return to Millfield. Peter Creed, eight time Welsh national men's champion, Angus Gilliam, who broke into the top 70 in his second year of becoming a professional player and Peter Marshall, a former British and European number one and world number two player.