Nicol David helmed the world ranking for record of nine years (Photo: Nicol David)
After dominating the glass-court for more than two decades, Datuk Nicol David has announced her retirement from the sport when the current 2018/2019 Professional Squash Association (PSA) season ends in June. Nicol, who helmed the world ranking for record of nine years, is considered the greatest women’s player of all time with 81 PSA singles titles.
The 35-year-old Penangite, who started to play squash at the age of five and turned pro in 2000, told Bernama, “After having time to reflect, I can honestly say that staying at No. 1 for nine years in a row is what stands out for me most. I never fully understood it until I was not there anymore. I am very proud of this achievement.”
Nicol isn’t planning on leaving the arena entirely. Despite retiring as an athlete, she will still contribute to the sport in numerous ways.
“I love squash with all my heart, and it will always play an important role in my life, which is why I would like to give back in three ways. By working closely with the PSA to raise the awareness of our sport globally and to build a support team for our professional squash athletes as they continue to raise the bar on tour.
“By helping the younger Malaysian generation through the Nicol David Foundation, which seeks to empower girls through sport to reach their full potential. And to the people of Malaysia, I will be sharing my story, ‘Nurturing Belief’, through a series of talks and writings,” she said.
Nicol also penned a special column for Turning Points, a collaboration between The Edge and the New York Times which comprises a collection of articles that look at key developments, events and trends that set the direction for the year ahead. Here’s an excerpt of her piece:
“The times when I lost matches were always painfully difficult to take, but losing my World No 1 ranking hit me the hardest. At that moment, I felt that nothing seemed to work to get me out of that hole. But what it really did was bring me back to life by finding a new perspective in me to grow stronger than ever. I could not repeat the things that had worked before, but had to reinvent myself. These breakthrough moments are what we need to rekindle our fire that will brighten our future.
As the world is evolving, so is our country. People want change and it starts by nurturing belief, which makes all the difference.”
Read the full article by subscribing to The Edge.
