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05-Jun-05:
Malaysia Marvels at Nicol's success ...
 The
June world rankings may have been fairly
mild in terms of the number and scale of positions changing hands,
but Nicol David's rise to number three has certainly sparked
off some celebrations in Malaysia.
"Nicol's top 3 ranking now has sent the media in a frenzy," reports
Alex Wan from Kuala Lumpur. "We got a full back page report
the day the rankings were released and they're still writing on her
up till today!"
And no wonder, when a report in the Malaysia Star tells us that
"Nicol’s third-placed world ranking is the best ever position by a
Malaysian sportsperson."
So, apologies for our headline "steady as she goes" on the June
rankings ... here's a flavour of the Nicol Frenzy, and Nicol herself
relates her Olympic Dream ...
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 "Every
step up the rankings right now gets tougher and tougher
because I am competing with the world’s best. That’s why I am
thrilled that I got to move up from fourth to third."
Nicol David
"We are very proud of Nicol. We are certainly looking forward
to the day when she becomes world number one."
Wong Ah Jit
SRAM executive director |
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Malaysian Star, 05-June:
Big step forward
for squash queen
By K.S. USHA DEVI
 WHEN
five-year-old Nicol David tagged along with her two older sisters –
Lianne, then 10, and Cheryl, then seven – to play squash some 16
years ago, little did anyone realise that she would one day become a
top player and do her country proud.
The diminutive youngster has since developed into a world–class
squash player and has broken into the top three world ranking.
It is indeed a great achievement for Nicol who is just 21 years old.
Currently based in Squash City, Amsterdam, Nicol’s third-placed
world ranking is the best ever position by a Malaysian sportsperson.
The world-ranking list was released on Wednesday by the
International Squash Players’ Association (Wispa).
With this third placing, Nicol has achieved another milestone in her
career. She is already the highest-ranked Asian woman squash player.
While playing about in the squash courts at Bukit Dumbar in
Jelutong, Penang (now the Penang International Squash Centre),
Nicol’s talent was spotted by Penang junior development officer Ee
Phoeh Hoon, who encouraged her to try her hand at the game. And
Nicol has never looked back since.
When contacted in Penang, Desmond David, Nicol’s father, said
he was very proud of his youngest daughter’s achievement. While
admitting that he was surprised at Nicol’s quick move, he said it
was a step forward for Nicol’s squash career.
“The family spoke to her on Wednesday night about the world-ranking
list and she too was excited over the news,” said Desmond.
Nicol herself was not aware of the news as she was busy playing in a
tournament in Amsterdam, he said.
A social squash player himself, Desmond said his daughters took up
the game because they were interested in sports. Lianne, 27, and
Cheryl, 24, now train and coach at a squash centre in Penang.
“Nicol was hyperactive and the squash court was the place to keep
her busy,” Desmond said with a laugh.
Now, after more than 15 years of volleying and rallying around the
squash court, Nicol’s perseverance and hard work have certainly paid
off, judging from her achievements.
 Her
continuous progress and maturity in reading her opponent’s game was
evident when she won the
Kuwait Open in
March this year, beating one of the top 10 ranked players, Natalie
Grainger of the United States.
“When I got to the court, Natalie started off at a furious pace and
I had to just try to hold on to her and slow the rhythm down to
where I could play my own game,” Nicol said after winning the title.
Among her other titles are the world junior champion (twice, in 1999
and 2001), Asian champion (four times, in 1998, 2000, 2002 and
2004), Commonwealth Games silver medallist (2002), Asian Games gold
medallist (2002) and World Open semi-finalist (2004).
Other than the Kuwait Open, Nicol also won the
KL Open and reached the semi-finals
of the Qatar QA Challenge
in April this year.
Sharing the joy of Nicol’s achievement is the Squash Rackets
Association of Malaysia (SRAM), whose executive director Wong Ah
Jit said the association was very happy with Nicol’s continuous
progress.
 “We
will be there to give support and encouragement for her to continue
her fine run,” Wong said.
To maintain her current ranking, Wong said Nicol must do well in the
Dutch Open and Malaysian Open (July
27-30) to break away from fourth-ranked Natalie Grinham of
Australia. Nicol’s points were quite close to those of Natalie’s,
Wong said.
David takes
Dutch Open Title |
Malaysian Star, 05-June:
Squash queen Nicol in no hurry to be No. 1
BY RAJES PAUL
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s top woman squash player Nicol David is
thrilled over her recent climb to third spot in the world rankings.
But she is not in a rush to be the world’s number one player
although it is her ultimate goal.
Right now, the 21-year-old Nicol wants to consolidate her position
in the rankings.
 And
she will also work on her physical fitness to narrow the gap with
the top two players – Rachael Grinham of Australia and Holland’s
Vanessa Atkinson.
In the Women’s International Squash Players’ Association (WISPA)
world ranking list released on Wednesday, Nicol moved one rung up to
dislodge Australian Natalie Grinham from the third spot.
It was the best ever achievement by a Malaysian or an Asian.
Nicol, who is currently based in Amsterdam, was elated that she had
reached her target earlier than expected.
 “Every
step up the rankings right now gets tougher and tougher because I am
competing with the world’s best. That’s why I am thrilled that I got
to move up from fourth to third,” said Nicol in an e-mail sent to
The Star yesterday.
“My main goal was to move up one place and I did it this month. For
now, I will be focusing on maintaining my position.”
She said that she was looking forward to becoming the world number
one but admitted that a lot of work was needed to catch up with
Rachael and Atkinson.
“Of course, the target is to be the world No. 1 but I am not in a
hurry to get there right away. This year, I have achieved more than
the target set so I am on course with my plans,” she said.
“They (Rachael and Atkinson) are the world number one and world
champion with different styles of game. It is the consistency in
their games that has taken them to where they are now.”
Nicol said that her training programme under Liz Irving had done a
world of good in her bid to become the world’s best.
“It has just worked out extremely well because the experienced Liz
has a lot to offer in women’s squash and she can put things in the
right perspective,” said Nicol who won this year’s
Kuala Lumpur and
Kuwait Open.
“For this season, some of the squash players and I are working with
a sports physical trainer who also trains professional tennis
players and it has made a big difference.”
Her daily routine includes trainings in the mornings and afternoons,
which are alternated with a game of squash for one-and-half hour and
physical workout that can stretch from two-and-half hours to three
hours.
 “I
get back home after training and make sure I recover well with a
good dinner. Then, it is time to rest and get ready for the next
day,” she said.
Despite the hectic schedule, Nicol said that she remains very
motivated.
“The hype of playing squash and doing well in tournaments keep me
going together with the support of my family and friends who back me
up every time.”
In the ongoing Dutch Open in Amsterdam,
Nicol has reached the semi-finals after eliminating Hong Kong’s
Rebecca Chiu 9-3, 9-3, 9-3 (first round) and England’s Fiona Geaves
9-0, 9-4, 9-4 (second round).
“Well, I just reached the semi-finals, so anything now will be a
bonus for me. I am just going to go all out against Vanessa,” she
said.
“I will be back for the Malaysian Open (July 25-30) after the World
Games in Duisburg, Germany (July 16-19). To the Malaysian fans, I
just want to thank them all for their support. Keep supporting
squash and please come cheer for the Malaysians during the Malaysian
Open in July.”
The Malaysian squash queen can bank on a grand homecoming welcome
then.
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Nicol's
 Olympic
Dream
As a squash player playing the professional circuit in the WISPA
tour I have to put it out there on the importance to have Squash as
an Olympic sport to me and to any other squash player.
Squash is such a well known sport throughout the world with
established squash federations that has been around running world
reknowned tournaments through the years. It is hard to grasp the
fact that squash was still being neglected in past Olympics even
though it covers every aspect of a complete all round sport.
 The
Olympics is the highlight of every top athlete in any area of sport.
A medal at the Olympics shows the prestige of being the best in what
you do and having a status with all the best athletes in their
respective sport. Every athlete's dream is to be part of the biggest
games in the world. Being a professional squash player and only
watching it happen just does not seem right.
Squash has been in all other major games and I am a medalist in most
of them, that is the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, and SEA Games.
When I am given the opportunity to represent Malaysia in any of
these games, it is overwhelming every time. Winning a silver medal
in the Commonwealth Games it is an experience I can never describe
because in squash that is the biggest games for us at the moment.
 Imagine
the intensity of it when squash is in the Olympics and earning that
first medal there would just be an incredible accomplishment that
tops everything else.
Nothing can compare to an Olympic medal.
The closest I have got to
participating in the Olympics is when the Malaysian public voted for
me to be one of the torch bearers in the Athens Olympic Games. The
popularity of squash in Malaysia has grown tremendously after the
Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur 1998 so that the awareness of the
public towards squash made this happen for me.
Squash was not in the Olympics then in Athens, but I sure felt I was
part of it all. Just as a torch bearer representing my country was
the hype of my life, what more playing the sport in the Olympics
which brought me to run the torch in the first place.
We have to be given a place in the Olympics because we deserve that
spot in 2012.
Thank you. Yours sincerely
Nicol David
Current World No. 3, 2 x World Junior Champion |
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