Tireless veteran
Nicol won’t slow down as she has world team meet in mind
OLD-TIMER Nicol David has no plans to slow down.
It looks like the 35-year-oldd is planning to stick around at least until 2020 as she has set her mind on the women’s World Team Squashh Championships in Malaysia.
The world meet is making its return to Malaysia after 24 years and squash queen Nicol wants to be part of the team and give the Malaysian fans a treat at the biennial event scheduled from Dec 15-20 at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil.
Malaysia last played host to the biennial squash team event in 1996 at the Astaka Sports Complex, where Malaysia finished 17th. Nicol and Co’s best feat was being runners-up to England in 2014.
Eight-time world champion Nicol is excited about Malaysia’s appointment as the host and even went on Twitter to express her joy – “Awesome and happy! Looking forward to 2020.
“This is very exciting news – the world meet will be back in Malaysia,” said Nicol, who was world No. 1 for a record 108 straight months.
“We need major tournaments like these to keep boosting interest in squash throughout the country where the fans can see the best of the best competing in Malaysia.
“The Malaysian team will prepare towards this in 2020 and we hope to have a good showing at our homeground,” said Nicol, who is also determined to play her role in the upcoming world team meet in Dalian, China, next month.
But her immediate mission is to lead Malaysia to team and individual suuccess at the Indonesian Asian Games.
The others in the team are S. Sivasangari, Low Wee Wern and Aifa Azman.
Nicol has won a total of six golds (four individuals and two teams) and one silver (individual) since she made her Asiad debut at the age of 14 at the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games.
And trust Nicol to give another strong showing if her determination is anything to go by when the individual competition starts today.
Nicol has a first-round bye and will begin her campaign tomorrow.
The focus today will be on sixth seed Sivasangari, who play Mihiliya Methsarani of Sri Lanka in the opening round at the Gelora Bung Karno Hall D.
Said the 19-year-old Sivasangari: “Malaysia have always been good in squash at the Asian Games.
“There’s a bit of pressure in the team as we have won the gold in the last two editions.
“We’ve to handle the pressure, we’re quite strong in the team with Nicol, Wee Wern and Aifa.
“I feel a bit nervous as this is my first Asiad. I’m playing two events – the singles and the team. I’m going into the singles event as an underdog and I hope to create some upsets.”
In the men’s singles, Ivan Yuen faces Muhammad Nur Tastaftyan of Indonesia in the first round while Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan takes on Sri Lanka’s Ravindu Laksiri.
The team events will begin on Aug 27.