Cleaner’s 13-Year-Old Daughter Vaishnavi Kashoor Wins National Junior Squash Title

KARACHI (Nazrana Times): Thirteen-year-old Vaishnavi Kashoor from Sindh has won the Girls Under-19 title at the 5th McDonald’s National Junior Squash Championship, overcoming financial constraints with the support of her family.

Her father, Kishore Das, works as an office cleaner in Karachi. Despite limited resources, he has supported his daughter’s passion for squash and worked to ensure that financial difficulties did not interrupt her training.

On the day of her final, Kishore Das was on duty and could not obtain leave to watch her compete. He later watched videos of her victory and expressed immense happiness at her achievement.

Straight-Games Victory in the Final

According to reports, Vaishnavi, representing Sindh, defeated second seed Damia Khan 3–0 in the final, winning 11–9, 13–11, 11–7.

She had earlier produced a major upset in the semifinal by defeating top seed Amna Malik of WAPDA 3–1.

The championship was held at the Jahangir Khan Squash Academy at the PSB Coaching Centre in Karachi and carried a total prize purse of PKR 800,000.

A Father’s Support and a Daughter’s Determination

Kishore Das earns his living cleaning offices. Despite his modest income, he continued supporting his daughter’s sporting ambitions, helping her pursue training amid difficult circumstances.

Although work commitments prevented him from attending the final, watching footage of Vaishnavi becoming a national junior champion brought him great joy.

Vaishnavi said she was proud of her father and credited him with protecting her training from the effects of the family’s financial difficulties.

“Whatever work my father does, he never allowed our circumstances to affect my training and always supported me fully,” she said, according to reports.

International Representation Is Her Next Goal

Vaishnavi described becoming a national junior champion at just 13 as a memorable achievement. Her next ambition is to represent Pakistan in international competitions and bring further honours to the country.

Earlier Achievements

Vaishnavi previously won the Girls Under-15 title at the 2nd RICHS National Junior Squash Championship, defeating her opponent 11–7, 11–2, 11–4.

At the American Business Club National Junior Squash Championship in 2025, she upset top seed Nimra Batool 11–6, 11–4, 11–7 to reach the quarterfinals.

Her progress is being described as an inspiring example of determination, family support and hard work overcoming social and economic barriers.