HK No 1 spot eyed, but studies come first
Simmi Chan plans to climb up the squash rankings once she graduates in America
Simmi Chan Sin-yuk is in no rush to become Hong Kong’s top women’s squash player, as she tries to strike a balance between studying and the sport.
But that remains the ultimate goal for the 20-year-old, who will represent her city in next week’s Asian Championships as the sixth seed.
Back in Hong Kong for the summer, the second-year Columbia University student said playing in college had affected her chances on the professional circuit, and her world ranking.
“Studying in the United States and playing in the NCAA has cost me opportunities in the tour which will definitely affect my ranking,” Chan – who became the first player from Hong Kong to lift the NCAA title in March – said.
“But my plan is to walk on two legs at the moment, taking care of both my studies and sport. But once I have graduated from university, I’ll turn my full attention to squash and by that time I want to become the leading player of the Hong Kong team.”
Two of the city’s top former players, Annie Au Wing-chi and Joey Chan Ho-ling, retired after steering Hong Kong to team gold at the 2018 Asian Games. Au once climbed as high as No 6 in the world, while Joey Chan cracked the top 20 at No 16 – both far ahead of any existing Hong Kong player.
Simmi Chan, ranked 38 in the world – with Hong Kong’s topranked player Tomato Ho Tze-lok world No 24 – is set to make her Asian Games debut in Hangzhou in September, but it will not come at the expense of her studies.
“I will stop preparations ahead of the Hangzhou Games as I plan to return to the United States when the new academic year begins in September – the first two weeks is always important in studies,” she said.
Hong Kong will have six men and six women at the Asian Championships, at Squash Centre in Central. It will be the first time the city has hosted the regional top-tier event, and it will be a prelude to the Asian Games.