By Akeem Greenenews@newsroom.gyIn the quiet corners of the Georgetown Club or the National Racquet Centre, the rhythmic ‘thwack’ of a squash ball against a wall is a constant.For 12-year-old Ethan Bulkan, it is the heartbeat of a dream that stretches from the courts of Guyana to the Olympic rings.While many his age are navigating the early hurdles of secondary school, Ethan is in London, standing on the precipice of the ‘Wimbledon of Squash’—the Centenary British Junior Open.It is a career high that comes on the heels of a year defined by bittersweet symmetry: 2025, the year of the “Double Silver.”Reflecting on a campaign that saw him secure second-place finishes at both the Junior CASA and the Junior Pan American Open in Guatemala, Bulkan is candid about the thin margins of elite sport.Ethan Bulkan finished second at the Junior Pan American Games in 2025In the Pan Am final against Colombia’s Tomas Gonzalez, he won the first set and pushed the next two to 10-10 tie-breaks.He describes it to News Room Sport as having one hand on the trophy, only for it to slip away.While most would celebrate being the second-best U13 player in the hemisphere, Bulkan views those silvers as both his highs and his lows.“It is not a nice feeling to come so close and not go all the way,” he admits with a maturity that mirrors his clinical play on court.It is this honesty—this refusal to settle for second—that marks him as a future champion.He speaks of “digging deep” in the quarter-finals and relying on raw fitness to overcome grueling five-setters, proving that for him, the result is consistently earned in the final moments of exertion.Off the court, the stakes are just as high. A stellar academic performer at the prestigious Queen’s College, Bulkan is a living rebuttal to the idea that one must choose between the classroom and the court.Bulkan is a living rebuttal to the idea that one must choose between the classroom and the courtHe represents a rare breed of student-athlete who maintains a high standard of performance in two national sports, having also donned national colors in badminton.The secret to this balancing act is a combination of rigid discipline and an ironclad support system. He credits his parents for instilling a simple rule: when it is time for schoolwork, it is schoolwork; when it is time for sports, it is sports.It is a philosophy centered on dedication, recognizing that what you put into the process is precisely what you get out.He already has his eyes on the Ivy League—Harvard, Yale, or UPenn—but with a grounded perspective: “CXC first,” he reminds himself.Behind this elite trajectory is a family fortress. He describes his family as his “backbone,” but singles out one person as his “rock”: his elder brother, Egan.The two are inseparable training partners, pushing each other to the limit daily. However, the stars are aligning for a narrative that could have been ripped from a movie script, as in 2026, both brothers will move into the Boys U15 division.Ethan and his elder brother Egan have a light moment The goal for the new year is a maiden individual Gold at Junior CASA in Trinidad.The irony is that the person standing in his way in the final might be the brother who helped him get there.It is the ‘Battle of the Bulkan Brothers, Part 2,’ and for Ethan, it is the final piece of the competitive puzzle.As Ethan prepares for his first serve of 2026 in London, his progression is undeniable. From a CASA bronze in 2023 to a double silver in 2025, the trajectory points toward a single color.“I want to one day represent Guyana in squash at the Olympics,” he says.It is a bold statement, but for a boy who treats the most prestigious junior tournament in the world as a starting point rather than a destination, it feels less like a wish and more like a plan.The post Ethan Bulkan chasing a ‘golden double’ in 2026 appeared first on News Room Guyana.