Amal Izhar is a rising star in the world of squash. She’s well on her way to superstardom, but there’s an obstacle in her way: she must finish high school.
Izhar is currently in the IB program at White Oaks High School but will be moving to Iroquois Ridge High School in September. She is moving due to Iroquois Ridge’s well-reputed program to support high performance athletes.
Izhar currently trains at the Ontario Racquet Club (ORC) in Mississauga. Unlike most athletes, however, Izhar started playing very late.
“I’ve been playing for about four years,” said Izhar. “I started playing in the fall of 2015.”
Her father, Nadeem Izhar, first introduced her and her brother into the sport.
“My dad used to play when he was younger, and he introduced it to me and my brother,” said Izhar.
Nadeem was a squash star in his own right. He was one of the top juniors in his native Pakistan, and he continued playing squash in the US while completing his undergraduate degree. An injury ended his career, and he is now one of his daughter’s coaches.
When it comes to the strongest part of Izhar’s game, Nadeem is clear on what it is.
“She’s pretty natural in her ability to move around the court,” explained Nadeem. “That’s her main strength, in terms of why she’s succeeding more than any other at this age.”
Izhar has a long-term plan but is more focused on her immediate future.
“I do want to go pro in the future, but I have to complete my studies first,” said Izhar. “I’m looking at both Canada and US schools; whichever schools have good squash programs is my biggest priority.”
Just like any other sport, squash requires a lot of physical training.
“Squash requires a lot of stamina,” explained the ORC squash player. “I go for runs outside to build up my stamina, and there’s physical training in the gym as well with weights.”
Not only do squash players have to keep in shape physically, their mental strength needs to be topped up as well.
“It’s really important when you’re playing a match; being able to focus and keeping up with your game plan,” said Izhar.
The COVID-19 outbreak has affected every athlete’s training regimen, and Izhar is among them.
“I haven’t gone to do any on-court training, but I have been going out for runs and working out at home to keep fit,” said Izhar.
Among her many accomplishments, Izhar was recently named Squash Ontario’s most improved U19 player. By the way, she’s only 15. She’s been playing above her age category for a year.
Izhar’s two most memorable victories were both semi-final upsets against top players from around the world. At the 2019 European Junior Open in Cologne, Germany, the unseeded Izhar defeated the top seeded player Naomi Nohar from the Netherlands. The second win was at the 2019 Canadian Junior Open in Niagara-on-the-Lake, where Izhar beat Sophia Hodges of New Zealand, who was the second seed.
Her performances last year paid off.
Prior to their cancellation due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Izhar was named to the Canadian squash roster for the 2020 Pan American Junior Championships that were to be held in El Salvador.
“I’ve been training to be selected for the Pan Am, and when I saw that my name got selected, it was a really good feeling,” said Izhar.
Izhar’s successes have already piled up in a very short timeframe. The future is very bright for Oakville’s own squash star.