Sisters from Peshawar, popularly known as the Ali Sisters, have once again brought international recognition to Pakistan with an impressive performance at a global junior event.
Mahnoor Ali clinched the gold medal at the International Junior Open Championship 2026 held in Malaysia, while her younger sister Sehrish Ali secured the bronze medal.
According to available details, the championship was part of the Asian Junior Super Series, where Mahnoor competed in the girls’ under-15 category. In the final, she defeated Malaysia’s Mohammad Khairulnizam Maisarah 3-1 in a closely contested match to claim the title.
Mahnoor won the opening game 12-10 after a thrilling battle and followed it up with another hard-fought 13-11 victory in the second game. Although she lost the third game 6-11, she made a strong comeback in the fourth, comfortably sealing it 11-7 to secure the championship.
Meanwhile, Sehrish Ali, who lost in the semi-final, bounced back strongly to win the third-place playoff and earned a bronze medal for Pakistan.
The achievement marks another milestone for emerging talent from Peshawar, highlighting the growing presence of Pakistani players in international junior badminton.