Wendover athlete only European nominated for Professional Squash Association's Young Player of the Year title

A rising star from Wendover was the sole European representative in the short list for the Professional Squash Association's Young Player of the Year title.

Katie Malliff is up for the World Tour Women’s Young Player of the Year award, the four other nominees are all from Egypt.

It is awarded every year to the top performing squash player aged 23 and under.

Katie, 20, broke into the top 50 of the PSA’s rankings this year after excelling in international competition.

She reached the third round of the Hong Kong Open, this was the first time the 20-year-old had progressed that far in senior ‘Platinum’ competition.

Platinum events are the most prestigious in the squash calendar.

In Washington DC, Katie reached the quarter-finals of the Squash on Fire tournament, only succumbing to eventual champion, Tinne Gilis.

Back in domestic competition, she was the runner up at the Colwyn Classic, losing to world number 22, Emily Whitlock, in the final.

Earlier this year, Katie’s mum Tricia, told The Bucks Herald her daughter’s long term goal remains to be world number one.

While setting out to become world number one, may sound like an ambitious aim, the Malliff family believe it is a realistic goal given the success Katie has enjoyed so far.

She has represented England at multiple age groups and claimed a European Championship at under 19 level. Votes can be registered on the PSA World Tour website here.

Also nominated was Amina Orfi, who at the age of 16 beat America’s number three ranked player at the World Championships and pushed the world number three at the same tournament.

Aifa Azman, 21, is another shortlisted Egyptian prodigy, she broke into the world’s top 25 for the first time in 2023, and reached the quarter finals of the Malaysian Open.

Fayrouz Aboelkheir is the third Egyptian shortlisted, she beat the world number four during the 2022-23 season.

Completing the five-woman shortlist is Kenzy Ayman who won three times on squash’s Challenger Tour at the age of 19.