Maitra chasing another AJC title

Sarbani Maitra will return to Tasmania looking to win another Australian Junior Championships in Devonport.

The tournament carries plenty of significance, it was in Tasmania back in 2019 that Maitra claimed her first Australian Junior Championship title, beginning a run of success at the event that has made the AJC one of the highlights of her year.

“AJC is by far my favourite event of the year, not just because I’ve had success in it previously, but because of all the fun and friendships I’ve made along the way,” Maitra said.

“It’s also really special to play in it because I have won it the past few years, so I hope to continue the streak!”

Maitra’s journey in squash began in 2018, when she was nine years old and looking for another sport alongside competitive swimming.

Her father, who played squash socially, introduced her to the game, while watching the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast helped spark a desire to take the sport more seriously.

The progress was rapid.

After being unable to serve consistently when she first started in February 2018, Maitra finished third at the AJC in Darwin later that year before going on to finish runner-up at the Scottish Junior Open in Edinburgh in December.

“I could see myself playing this sport well in the future,” she said.

It is a future that has already taken Maitra onto the international stage.

One of her proudest moments came at the 2026 World Junior Championships in Niagara-on-the-Lake, where she reached the top 32, a result she hopes to build on next year.

Now, she has her sights set on another successful AJC campaign.

“Hopefully to win and play my best!”

Maitra’s ambitions extend well beyond the junior ranks, with victories at the Australian, Oceania and Asian Junior Opens and success on the PSA Tour among her goals for the coming years.

Ultimately, she has her sights set on representing Australia at two major events.

The 2030 Commonwealth Games in India is her first major target, followed by the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.

“Leading up to these major events, I’d also love to compete on the tour and hopefully crack top 30 before 2030,” she said.

For now, however, Maitra’s focus is on Devonport and a tournament that holds a special place in her squash journey.

Returning to the place where she won her first Australian junior title, she will be hoping Tasmania can once again prove a happy hunting ground.