Role Model

Malaysian youngsters and sports persons should take a cue from Squash Queen Nicol David. At such a young age already reached the top of her game. Being world number 1 and winning numerous prestigious titles. She is the Tiger Woods of Squash. If given the chance to watch her play, please do so. Do not let her size fool you, she is a very fit player. Ask any players that played against her, they probably tell you the same thing.

Her never give up attitude in any game, should be emulate/copied. She is young and got many more years of top flight games in her. May she stay healthy and fit and reign in her game as long as possible until another Nicol comes again (which i hope is another Malaysian).

Our sports people should really learn from her, her mental toughness, fitness and her never say die attitude.

Recently she was given an Honorary master's degree. Its something her parents should be proud of, since she and her family gave up so much for her to be successful. A big congratulations to her and her family.


http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/7/21/nation/20070721153340&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus has awarded Nicol David an honorary master's degree for her remarkable accomplishment as the most successful Malaysian female squash player of all time.

The university's pro-vice-chancellor Prof Doglas Tallack presented the award to Nicol during the university's eighth graduation ceremony on Saturday.

"For what she has accomplished on the court and for the way that she has handled herself off the court, Nicol is a true role model for all young people and someone who will continue to command our respect and admiration for many years to come," he said during the presentation.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicol_David

Nicol Ann David (born August 26, 1983 in Penang) is a Malaysian squash player and was said to be the Malaysian sport 'superstar'. She is officially the World Number 1 in women's squash, and is the current (as of 2006) British Open and World Open champion. Recently she has defended her British Open title in 2006 by beating Rachael Grinham in the final. She was the first Asian woman to win the Open. She is also the first and the only female squash player to have won the World Junior title twice in 1999 and 2000. David has been training in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, since she was 18, when she finished her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, scoring 7As. David's other titles include the Asian squash championship, which she won with a record of five times (in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006).

She is the daughter of Ann Marie David and Desmond David. She has two sisters named Liane and Cheryl, both of whom are accomplished squash players at national levels. Her father is an engineer, and her mother was a school teacher (now retired).

On 4 December 2005, she beat Rachael Grinham from Australia to become the youngest world champion.

On 25 November 2006, at the historic Ulster Hall in Belfast , she beat Rachael's sister, Natalie Grinham in a thrilling five sets. She became the first Malaysian athlete to win a world championship title for the 2nd consecutive time, and the fourth person in history to retain the world championship.

She held a 13-month, 51-match winning streak, from March 2006 to April 2007 when she finally lost to Natalie Grinham in the final of the 2007 Seoul Open. In today's standard of professional squash, which is regarded by many as being much more competitive than what it was decades ago, having a winning streak comparable to this is an achievement not easily obtainable.

Small and slight, the girl nicknamed the Duracell Bunny is certainly spellbindingly fast, a great retriever, but also now a more rounded attacking force too. She threatens to take a strong grip on the rankings for a while to come.

Nicol was also named WISPA Player of The Year for 2005 as she won six WISPA titles, the World Games gold medal and the World Open title on 4 December 2005. She has been a sports icon in Malaysia and the Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was quoted saying that David is "now more famous than me".