Nicol ready to produce next great Malaysian squash hope

As the world’s greatest women’s squash player of all time, national legend Nicol Ann David surely knows what it takes to be a champion.

So, who better than Nicol herself to help the country produce its next world-beater.

After she retired in 2019, no national player has been able to emulate her remarkable feats.

But all that’s about to change now, following the launching of the Nicol David Organisation (NDO), which could well produce the country’s next squash superstar.

Children aged between eight and 12 who undergo training at the NDO can count on the “magical” touch of Nicol, who will act as head coach of the organisation which she co-founded with former Colombian ace Mariana de Reyes.

“It’s not my KPI (key performance indicator) but, of course, I will be very happy if we can produce a champion one day,” Nicol told reporters after the NDO launching ceremony at the Bukit Jalil Golf and Country Resort in Kuala Lumpur today.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah graced the event.

The NDO is a non-profit organisation aimed at empowering children aged between eight and 12 from low and middle-income families through sport and education.

Apart from squash training, the NDO will also provide English tutoring in collaboration with the United States Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

The former world number one player said the NDO programme will kick off on June 13 involving students from four schools in the Klang Valley - SK Bukit Jalil, SK Bandar Baru Sri Petaling 1 and 2, and SJKT Ladang Bukit Jalil.

She said parents will only need to pay as low as RM18 per month to register their children and let the NDO mould them to become great squash players in the future.

She also believes that providing such opportunities to Malaysian children would help change their future - just like how it changed hers.

“My goal is now to give back to society in the hope that the youngsters can also achieve their dreams and become a generation that inspires not just themselves, but also their families and communities,” she added.

- Bernama