Funding squeeze leaves SRAM in a bind

A FUNDING squeeze has forced the Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) to rethink plans to send national players abroad for tournaments.

Following the end of the Kita Juara programme for the Kuala Lumpur Sea Games, SRAM have faced a cut in funding from the National Sports Council (NSC), at least until the next initiative is launched.

The most immediate issue is the participation of nine players at next week’s Australian Open in Darwin while plans to compete in tournaments in Qatar, Hong Kong and Pakistan are also in doubt.

“After the Sea Games, the funding from NSC has entered a cooling-off period, at least until the next programme is launched,” said SRAM director of coaching Mej (rtd) S. Maniam yesterday.

“We are still trying to get the funding to send the players to the Australian Open. They have entered the tournament themselves because it is a good event to obtain exposure and ranking points.

“They choose tournaments they want to enter and we endorse it.”

Malaysian Open women’s champion S. Sivasangari is the second seed at the Australian Open, which begins on Tuesday, while Ng Eain Yow, Addeen Idrakie Bahtiar, Sanjay Singh, Ong Sai Hung, Syafiq Kamal, Bryan Lim, Ryan Pasqual and Darren Rahul Pragasam are entered in the men’s event.

But the players may need to reconsider entering future tournaments with funding now scarce.

Luckily for SRAM, Malaysia’s participation in the World Championships and Men’s World Team Championship is covered by funding from the Podium Programme.

Nafiizwan Adnan, Ivan Yuen, Eain Yow and Syafiq have been named for the team event in France on Nov 27-Dec 3 while all four men will be joined by women’s World No 6 Nicol David at the World Championships in Manchester on Dec 8-17.

Meanwhile, Ivan’s poor run of form continued as he exited the Indian Circuit CCI International in the first round in Mumbai on Tuesday.

The seventh-seeded Ivan succumbed 4-11, 11-6, 11-2, 11-3 to Indian qualifier Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu for his third consecutive defeat on the PSA Tour. Devinder Singh