Addeen feeling the heat from younger rivals
AT 27 years old, Addeen Idrakie knows he is not getting any younger. The second oldest in the national setup, he is however determined to push harder to stay ahead of younger teammates.
The World No. 93 is glad to finally get back into action, after the Covid-19 interruption, when the SRAM PSA 1 competition begins today.
“I’m very excited... it has been more than a year since I competed on the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Tour,” said Addeen, whose last PSA outing was the CNS International in Karachi, Pakistan, in February last year.
“It’s going to be quite a challenge for me because it has been mentally tough, being out for so long. It’s not easy getting back into competitive mode.
“Moreover, the younger boys have all been training really hard and they will be out to push me hard.
“But it’s nice to see the younger players coming through and the harder they train, the more they put me out of my comfort zone.
“In a way, they are the ones who are really motivating me to stay on top of my game.
“I know that since I’m already 27, I cannot be slacking off.
“I hope to get into the PSA final but it will not be easy because my draw is quite tricky,” he added.
Addeen, seeded third in the SRAM meet, got a first round bye. He will meet either Duncan Lee or Shamiel Sharul in the second round with a likely clash against fifth seed Ong Sai Hung in the quarter-finals.
National No 1 Ivan Yuen is the top seed in the men’s event followed by national No 2 Syafiq Kamal.