KUALA LUMPUR — Datuk Nicol David’s expanded role under the Road to Gold (RTG) programme has been warmly welcomed by the squash community, with Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) vice-president Sharon Wee believing the Malaysian legend’s involvement will inspire the next generation ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“To have Nicol — our legend, former world champion, and world number one — involved will definitely inspire our RTG players,” Sharon told Scoop.
“I’m sure that with her experience as a top squash player, she’ll be able to advise on training and work closely with our national coaches to help shape the best programmes for our elite players, especially S. Sivasangari and Ng Eain Yow.”
Sharon added that Nicol’s input would also enhance collaboration with the National Sports Institute (NSI) in developing athletes through sports science and holistic conditioning.
“She understands what’s suitable for elite players and can work with our coaches, who’ve trained these athletes since their junior years,” said Sharon, who was also recently appointed to the board of the National Athletes’ Foundation (Yakeb) by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
“Together, they can design the best training plans and collaborate with the NSI — not just on fitness, but also on sports science, psychology, and physical management. That’s crucial to sustaining performance all the way to LA 2028.”
Sharon, a former international herself, is also confident that Eain Yow, Malaysia’s top-ranked men’s player, will be included in the RTG programme, even though he currently sits just outside the initial selection criteria at world number 11.
“Eain Yow is our number one. There should be a way to assess him to still be part of RTG,” she said.
“Although he’s not currently in the world top 10, I’m sure the RTG and MSN (National Sports Council) have other criteria for choosing players besides just rankings alone.”
Sharon stressed that SRAM, through its coaching setup, is doing everything possible to support its top players — not just in training but also in strategically planning their tournament schedules to boost global rankings.
“Our coaches are working really well together. We’ve got Andrew Cross as director of coaching, former national player Shahril Shahidan as head coach, and Ajaz Azmat as our high-performance coach,” she said.
“Andrew has worked with Eain Yow since his junior days. When he’s not (competing) overseas, he trains with Andrew. Similarly, when Sivasangari returns from the US during (term) breaks, she trains with Ajaz — so we’re in good hands.”
“Our coaching team is closely monitoring tournament scheduling — not just for Sivasangari and Eain Yow, but also our other players — to make sure they collect the right points and improve their world rankings,” she added. — April 9, 2025