Nafiizwan pulls out of world meet after brother’s death
KUALA LUMPUR: National No. 1 Nafiizwan Adnan has withdrawn from the World Squash Championships in Manchester after his elder brother, Mohd Nafhisham, passed away on Friday.
Nafhisham died due to heart complications in Kuala Terengganu. He was 37.
World No. 38 Nafiizwan was supposed to play in the main draw of the world meet against a qualifier.
The former Asian champion has been replaced by England’s Ben Coleman.
Nafiizwan’s brother Nafzahizam said: “Nafiizwan was in Manchester when he received the news.”
Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) director of coaching Mejar (Rtd) S. Maniam said that they sympathise with Nafiizwan’s brother’s death.
Two other national players, Ivan Yuen and Mohd Syafiq Kamal, have also withdrawn from the World Championships.
National No. 2 Ivan, who was scheduled to play in the main draw, is undergoing treatment for chest pain which he felt after training last month.
Syafiq is nursing a shin injury which he suffered during the World Team Championships in Marseille, France, last week.
Ng Eain Yow, who played in the world team meet, is Malaysia’s only male representative in Manchester.
Eain Yow, who won the world junior title last year, played in the qualifiers and he beat Dimitri Steinmann of Switzerland in the first round yesterday.
In the women’s competition, world No. 6 Nicol David will be gunning for a record ninth world title in Manchester.
The 34-year-old Penangite will face England’s Jenny Duncalf in the first round tomorrow. And Nicol is likely to take on 11th seed Annie Au of Hong Kong in the second round.
Another Malaysian, Rachel Arnold is playing in the qualifiers.
The top two players in the women’s action are from Egypt – reigning world champion and world No. 1 Nour El Sherbini and world No. 2 Raneem El Weleily.