Nazhir Smith and Emma Keane will look to defend their respective under-19 titles in their final year as juniors when the Digicel Junior Squash National Championships are held next Monday and Tuesday.

It is the biggest junior tournament of the year, attracting more than 40 youngsters from under-11 to under-19 boys and girls. Smith will face stiff competition from Kion Knights who won in the under-17 category previously and narrowly beat Smith in a recent club tournament.

In the girls, Keane will be back from her studies in England and looking to defend her title for a third time in her final year as a junior. Tiye Williams and Susanna Armano are strong contenders.

The boys under-15 features a large and strong field of players, with Dylan Pratt as the top seed and last year’s winner, Anaya Smith, the number two seed. Meanwhile, in the girls’ under-13 and under-15 competition, Abigail Brewer — recently back from the Canadian Junior Open in Niagara — will see if she can win in both age categories.

Matches will run from 9am to 2pm on Monday and 9am to noon on Tuesday. The finals will be held between 11am to 12pm on Tuesday. The boys’ under-19 match is at noon.