Nicol David’s Olympic dream lives on through two Malaysians

 After years of campaigning for squash’s Olympic place, Nicol David watched two Malaysians make history in Nagoya. Their triumph was also hers.

A dream years in the making: Nicol David (centre) shares a historic moment with S Sivasangari and Ng Eain Yow, the first squash players to secure qualification places for LA28. (Nicol David Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

There are moments in sport when the person celebrating has as much reason to smile as the champion standing on the podium.

For Nicol David, that moment came in Nagoya when Ng Eain Yow and S Sivasangari became the first squash players to secure qualification places for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

She was there to witness it, sharing the joy of two Malaysians who had achieved something she spent years fighting to make possible.

For much of her career, Nicol carried squash’s Olympic dream around the world, appearing in campaign videos, making presentations and helping persuade the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that her sport belonged at the Games.

Now, two compatriots had walked through the door she helped open.

There was something wonderfully fitting about that.

Nicol, an eight-time world champion and former world No 1 for 108 consecutive months, once famously said she would trade all her world titles for an Olympic gold medal.

She retired in 2019 without getting the chance to compete for one. Squash had missed out on the 2020 and 2024 Olympics before the IOC finally approved its inclusion in October 2023.

The woman who had fought so hard for that recognition could now watch a new generation pursue the prize that had eluded her.

But this was not simply a story about Nicol’s dream. Eain Yow and Sivasangari had to earn their moment, and they did so in style.

Both arrived in Nagoya as defending Asian Games champions, carrying the expectations that come with having already tasted gold.

Eain Yow defeated India’s Abhay Singh 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 to retain the men’s singles title. Sivasangari followed with an equally assured 11-4, 11-4, 11-7 victory over India’s Anahat Singh in the women’s final.

One more gold, one more chapter: A jubilant Ng Eain Yow after helping Malaysia reclaim the Asian Games men’s team squash title, four years after the team settled for bronze. (Bernama pic)

Their victories delivered Malaysia’s fifth and sixth gold medals at the Games, meeting the national contingent’s original target. More importantly, they secured the first two squash qualification places for LA28.

For Sivasangari, the achievement carried a particularly personal meaning.

Four years earlier, she had survived a serious road accident that left her with neck and spinal injuries. There were questions about whether she would walk again, let alone return to elite sport.

Yet there she was, defending her Asian Games crown and securing an Olympic place.

Her victory over Anahat was a composed display from a player who understood the occasion without allowing it to overwhelm her.

The joy of making history: S Sivasangari raises her arms after defending her Asian Games women’s singles title, earning Malaysia its sixth gold and securing her place at LA28. (Bernama pic)

Afterwards, she described Olympic qualification as a dream come true, while making clear that she wanted to keep improving.

There is something lovely about that combination: the joy of reaching a destination and the hunger to go further.

Eain Yow was equally clear about what comes next.

“I want to be world number one, I want to be world champion, and I want an Olympic gold medal,” he said after Malaysia’s men’s team victory.

“I want it all in this sport, so I will keep working hard.”

It was an ambitious declaration, but one that captured what Olympic inclusion means for squash. Players can now pursue an Olympic medal alongside world titles and professional rankings.

The celebrations did not end with the singles finals.

Malaysia went on to collect two more squash gold medals, finishing with four golds and one bronze. No other individual sport contributed as many gold medals to the national tally at Aichi-Nagoya.

The women’s team retained its title with a 2-1 victory over Hong Kong China. Aifa Azman gave Malaysia the opening point before Sivasangari lost a five-game battle to Chan Sin Yuk. Aira Azman then settled the contest with an 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 win over Lee Ka Yi.

The victory was another reminder that team gold is rarely the work of one player. Aifa and Aira, sisters sharing the court and the responsibility, helped deliver a triumph that demanded composure after Hong Kong had drawn level.

The men’s team provided another memorable finish, defeating Pakistan 2-0 to reclaim the title last won by Malaysia in 2018.

Back on top: Malaysia’s men’s squash team celebrates its return to the Asian Games summit after defeating Pakistan 2-0 in the final. (Facebook pic)

Ameeshenraj Chandaran recovered from losing the opening game to beat Nasir Iqbal 8-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-4.

Eain Yow then had to dig deep against Noor Zaman, recovering from a two-game deficit to win 11-8, 6-11, 7-11, 11-4, 11-5.

For Eain Yow, the team triumph also settled unfinished business. He had delivered the winning point when Malaysia won gold at the 2018 Asian Games, but the team managed only bronze in Hangzhou four years later.

His joy was not simply about adding another medal to his collection. It was about helping his teammates reclaim a title they had lost.

That is the part of sport a medal table cannot quite capture: the shared memories, the disappointments carried forward and the satisfaction of finally getting it right together.

The significance of the remarkable squash campaign reaches beyond the medals.

Olympic inclusion gives squash a new platform to reach children who might never otherwise have considered picking up a racket. It also offers national associations a stronger case for funding, better facilities and pathways for young players.

Nicol has long spoken about the opportunities Olympic recognition could bring to participation and the sport’s future.

For Malaysia, the opportunity comes with a proud history. Nicol, Ong Beng Hee and generations of players helped establish the country’s standing in world squash. Eain Yow and Sivasangari are now carrying that tradition into a new chapter.

They still have work to do before Los Angeles, but they can prepare knowing that the sport they love will finally have its place on the Olympic stage.

And somewhere in that journey is Nicol, whose playing career ended before squash received its Olympic invitation, but whose efforts helped ensure that others would not have to wonder what might have been.

A champion’s legacy is often measured by the titles she wins, the records she leaves behind and the players who follow in her footsteps.

Nicol has all of those.

Now she has something else: the sight of two Malaysians beginning an Olympic journey that once seemed beyond the reach of their sport.

When the opening ball is struck in Los Angeles, Malaysia will have every reason to cheer.

Eain Yow and Sivasangari will carry their own ambitions, but they will also carry the history of a sport that fought for the right to be there.

And perhaps, amid the excitement, they will remember the woman who stood in Nagoya to share their joy.

Some dreams are fulfilled by the people who first imagine them. Others find their meaning in the lives they make possible.

Sisters in arms, champions together: Malaysia’s women’s squash team celebrates retaining its Asian Games gold after overcoming Hong Kong in a tense final. (Facebook pic)

For this one, a simple thank you will do.

Thank you, Nicol. - FMT