Bond University’s newest squash talent, Joshua Raj, is gearing up for one of the biggest tests of his young career when he takes on Europe’s best at the Scottish Junior Open later this month.
It comes after an eye-catching campaign at the Junior World Squash Championships in Cairo this year, when he announced himself on the international stage.
The Bachelor of Actuarial Science student earned selection in his first Australian junior squash team and made an immediate impact, reaching the plate final in a stacked global draw.
“It was a pretty cool experience; I managed to play opponents from eight different countries,” Raj said.
“Egypt is the biggest squash country in the world. The atmosphere is crazy – it’s like soccer in Brazil.
“My toughest opponent was Scottish No.1 Archie Turnball. Playing against him was definitely an eye-opener; it was good to see where I stand.”
Raj, 18, began studying at Bond only this semester and says the sport that now shapes his international travel schedule is also what guided him into actuarial science.
Australian representative and Olympic hopeful Kenneth Lamb is a Bond alumnus with an actuarial science degree.
“Squash is what actually got me into studying actuarial science,” Raj said.
“Ken Lamb couldn’t speak more highly of his experience at Bond.
“He sat me down and gave me the full rundown, and although he graduated at the start of the year, he’s been great helping me out with all my different subjects.”
With just months left in the junior ranks, Raj is already plotting his next step, targeting a move on to the professional circuit in June next year.
“It probably wasn’t till four years ago when I got selected for the Queensland state team that I thought maybe I could take squash further,” Raj said.
“I’m getting to the end of my time being a junior, so I’ll hopefully head into the professional circuit next year.
“My goals for 2026 is to get as high a junior ranking as possible and I’ve set my sights on playing a few overseas professional tournaments.
“University and high-level sport have been a bit of a juggle, but I think it’s important to keep busy – it ends up keeping you on task.”