KUALA LUMPUR – National squash player Aifa Azman hopes to receive constant support from physiotherapists now that she has been accepted into the Fast Track Programme for athletes.
Aifa said that sometimes she had to pay for physiotherapists out of her own pocket when competing in individual tournaments overseas due to the National Sports Institute’s limited support services.
“One thing I want is physiotherapy support. It’s really important to have one, as athletes like us have back-to-back tournaments. I’ve just recovered from an injury so this kind of support is crucial.
“I know it’s not easy to get someone to follow you alone, and hopefully, through this Fast Track Programme, I can get physiotherapy support all the time, like what Datuk Nicol David used to have,” she said when met at the Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia dinner here last night.
Aifa, who is currently ranked 37th in the world, hopes to regain her career-high ranking of 21st by the end of the year.
Aifa stated that she had to miss several tournaments in the United States this season due to a right knee injury, which has impacted her Professional Squash Association world ranking.
Apart from Aifa, three other squash players are also listed in the Fast Track Programme, her younger sister Aira, S. Sivasangari and Ng Eain Yow.
The Fast Track Programme is an initiative under the Road to Gold programme to groom talented athletes between 16 and 25 years old who are medal prospects for the Olympic Games in 2028.
Squash will make its Olympics debut in Los Angeles in 2028.
Meanwhile, Aira described her inclusion in the Fast Track Programme as a shot in the arm for her mission to qualify for the 2028 Olympics.
“I am happy to join the programme because it is not easy to be included. We will also get better support,” she said.
Last July, Aira emerged runner-up in the 2023 World Junior Squash Championships in Melbourne after losing 8-11, 5-11, 1-11 to defending champion Amina Orfi of Egypt. – March 3, 2024
