KUALA LUMPUR – Squash great Datuk Nicol David believes all the efforts that were exerted to get squash into the Olympics were worth it, as the sport will be included in the 2028 edition in Los Angeles (LA28).
“All the effort we put in previously did not go to waste, even though we lost those bids we learned a lot and now we have our moment to shine,” she said.
“All the campaigning that we have done has created more awareness for our sport whether it is in the media or how we present our sport.
“We had to raise the bar to get more recognition, if we didn’t do that we wouldn’t have the opportunity to push and get squash into LA28.
Looking ahead to the Los Angeles games, the 40-year-old said anything can happen and the country needs to tap into its talents at all levels.
“Elite players like S. Sivasangari and Ng Eain Yow will obviously be the main focus but we need to also look at the next tier.
“We need to prepare all the layers down the line, and it should not only be for LA28, we need to have an eye on the 2032 Brisbane Olympics as well.
“We need to get the next batch like the Azman sisters – Aira (19) and Aifa (22) – then you need to look at the juniors below them.
“There are a lot of things to look forward to and it is an exciting time for us but we need to plan it now,” said the seven-time Asian Games gold medal winner.
Nicol added that she is very thankful that finally, the sport will have an Olympian.
“We’ve waited so long for this moment to come. Finally, a Malaysian squash player can take part in the Olympic Games in 2028.
“I’m very thankful that we can see an Olympian squash athlete in four years,” she said after the Sime Darby Foundation’s Women and Girls in Sports Forum, here yesterday.
Meanwhile, Nicol, who is also the deputy chief de mission for the Paris Games, said the country’s athletes are doing their best to qualify for the august event.
She added that they are getting all the support they need and it is now up to them to perform and clinch their spots in Paris. – February 7, 2024
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