HER journey was tough and challenging. At times, she felt the weight of the world was on her shoulders.
Despite that, squash legend Datuk Nicol David remained steadfast in her belief – to do her best.
“My parents gave me a very good advice which I take it with me wherever I go. They told me that ‘you can’t do better than your best’.
“That’s all you can do, your best,” she said in her speech during the ‘Tribute to Datuk Nicol David: Meet & Greet’ event at the Nicol David International Squash Centre in Bukit Dumbar today.
She shared her story of winning her first world champion title in 2005.
“It was a dream come true. I was 22 and I didn’t expect to win the title.
“I created some upsets and one of them was defeating Vanessa Atkinson in the semi-final. She was the world number one at that time.
“I played Rachael Grinham in the final and it was a crazy battle. I did not think of anything else but to do my best and I managed to come out with my first world title in Hong Kong. My dream came true,” she said.
Nicol said that winning the title was not the hardest thing she had to go through.
“I had to work even harder for the next year. Once you are a world champion, it’s not yours to keep but yours to gain.
“Someone’s out there to beat you, to hunt you down. Every coach was teaching their players and finding ways to beat me.
“I couldn’t let my guard down. I had to come out winning all the time.
“The pressure on me was one of the hardest things that I had to overcome. It was also one of the best learning experiences I had.
“I learned about reinventing myself. I worked extra hard and I created a routine to make sure that my mental training was effective,” she added.
Nicol hoped to share her story and experience through motivational talks and engagements.
“I want to inspire our youths and empower them via sports,” she said.
Throughout her journey in squash, Nicol won the world champion title eight times; besides bagging many other remarkable titles.
She was the 10-time Hong Kong Champion, British Open Champion (five times), Malaysian Open Champion (eight times), World Games Champion (three times), Asian Games Champion (five times), Commonwealth Games Champion (two times), and the world number one women squash player for nine consecutive years.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said he was pleased to join the special event to honour Nicol for her achievements.
“We are indeed very proud of Nicol’s achievements. Not forgetting her parents, Desmond David and Ann Marie David, whom I believe have been instrumental for unearthing this gem who has made the state and Malaysia proud,” Chow said in his speech.
He also congratulated Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) and Squash Racquets Association of Penang (SRAP) for producing many champions in squash.
Also present were state Women and Family Development, Gender Inclusiveness and Religions Other Than Islam Committee chairman Chong Eng and SRAP vice-president Linda Geh.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Alvie Cheng