Nicol David ready to produce the next great Malaysian squash hope

KUALA LUMPUR: As one of the world's greatest ever women's squash players of all time, national legend Datuk 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, right?

After Nicol retired in 2019, none of the national players have been able to emulate her remarkable feat.

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 Nicol David.

That's because children aged between eight and 12 who undergo the training programmes at the NDO can count on the "magical" touch of Nicol, who will act as the head coach in 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 here today.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah graced the event at the Bukit Jalil Golf and Country Resort here.

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 that will be carried out 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, namely Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Jalil, Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar Baru Sri Petaling 1 and 2 and Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil Ladang Bukit Jalil.

Furthermore, she said, parents would only need to pay as low as RM18 per month to register their kids and, thus, let the NDO mould them to become great squash players in the future.

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

"My goal is now to give back to the 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