Duncan Lee claims first National Championship title in thrilling match
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The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
Youngster Nickhileswar's flair lights up the fans despite exit in Penang
Entertainer: M. Nickhileswar (right) on court with Tay Jun Qian (left) during the National Championships in Penang. Credit - SRAM PETALING JAYA: Young squash player M. Nickhileswar has a flair for showmanship and he is not afraid to let it shine on court. The 17-year-old admitted that he enjoyed entertaining the crowd, and that side of him was on full display at the National Championships in Penang last week. Although Nickhileswar bowed out in the quarter-finals after a spirited 8-11, 7-11, 8-11 defeat to Sanjay Jeeva, the youngster still managed to rally the spectators with his lively on-court presence, which is a stark contrast to his laid-back personality off court. "Off-court, I'm very chill, I like to joke around. But on the court, I'm serious, I want to win," said Nickhileswar. "Obviously I don't want to cross the line, but there's the entertainer side of me where I like to get the crowd going and have some fun with my squash." In his first appearance at the national level, the youngster relished the experience, soaking in the atmosphere and testing himself against the country's best. "I think it was a good experience for me to play in Penang, as it gave me the opportunity to play against some of the top players in the country," he said. "It was a tough loss, but I think I played some of my best squash, and it gave me the confidence that I can keep up with the senior players. "I don't think I can beat them yet, but I'm still a junior, and I'm young with a lot of time." Having completed his International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) in June, Nickhileswar said he would spent the rest of the year polishing his skills in the sport before starting his foundation programme at Sunway University next year. "I'll be squeezing in as much training as I can, and at the same time play as many tournaments as I can to get my ranking up," said Nickhileswar. "I hope to get into the top 200 by the end of the year. Most importantly, I want to be in the best possible condition to train and play well." Nickhileswar will be competing in the Tuanku Muhriz Trophy in Seremban from Aug 27-31 next, before heading to Greece and Italy for several PSA Challenger events.
The Star
7 hours ago
- The Star
Boon Heong bets on Zii Jia's spark and Aaron-Wooi's steel at world meet
Paris Olympic Games bronze medal winners Lee Zii Jia, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik. —AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star PETALING JAYA: One returns as underdog, the other as past champions. But former great Tan Boon Heong has faith in both men's singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia and doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik to deliver at the World Championships starting on Monday (Aug 25) in Paris. The world meet in Paris mark a comeback for Zii Jia and chance to rediscover his spark after five months out with an ankle injury. As for the 2022 winners Aaron-Wooi Yik, it is about proving again why they are Malaysia's most reliable big-stage performers. Boon Heong believes both stories could still end in glory. "For Zii Jia, the first and second rounds at the worlds will be very important. If he can find a way past these rounds, he could pull off something special," said Boon Heong. Zii Jia, whose rankings has dropped to No. 52 in the world, will open his campaign against South Korea's world No. 38 Jeon Hyeok-jin. A win could see him go up against China's world No. 4 Li Shifeng for a place in the third round. "We don't know how is his current physical condition but all the fans are hoping he can get a good result." The 27-year-old Zii Jia's best performance in the prestigious event so far came in the 2021 edition in Huelva, Spain where he made it into the quarter-finals before going down to Denmark's Anders Antonsen. In the last two editions in 2022 and 2023, Zii Jia lost in the third round. Unlike Zii Jia, Boon Heong says Aaron-Wooi Yik have the knack of rising to the big occasions, notably winning bronze medals in the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics, 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and 2023 world meet in Copenhagen. "Aaron-Wooi Yik are more confident in major events. Their achievements speak for themselves," said Boon Heong. "They have won two medals in the Olympics and they have showed that they can handle the pressure. "They definitely have a chance to win their second world title, especially with the competition looking open this time." Boon Heong himself has an impressive record in the big tournaments with Koo Kien Keat. The 37-year-old and Kien Keat won a bronze and silver in the world meet in the 2009 and 2010 editions respectively and captured gold in the 2006 Asian Games. Boon Heong believes that Aaron-Wooi Yik's potential opponents are not as formidable as they were before though and can be beaten. The duo need to navigate a difficult draw with a possible last eight clash against either China's Paris Olympics silver medallists Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang or India's 2022 Asian Games champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty awaiting. "Weikeng-Wang Chang and Satwiksairaj-Chirag have not won any titles so far this year," said Boon Heong. "The Chinese and Indian pairs are not as strong as they were in the past few years, so Aaron-Wooi Yik have a chance to beat either pair. "For me, the draw is not important. Whoever they face, they need to stay focused." For Aaron-Wooi Yik, they are aiming to reach their sixth final this year after claiming the Asian Championships, Singapore Open and Thailand Open and finishing runners-up in the China Open and Malaysian Masters.
New Straits Times
13 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Different strokes from Jiwa's three children
KUALA LUMPUR: Jiwa Mohan has three children and all of them are good at hitting a small ball with something. The hockey Olympian and World Cupper has two sons and one daughter excelling in different sports. Jiwa's 14-year-old twin sons, Kryshant and Kriish live in Victoria, and they have been selected for the Australia Under-16 squad. And on Sunday, his squash-playing daughter Yashica made Jiwa proud by winning the National Championships Division Two title in Penang. Yashica, who took up squash at the age of six, made her debut in the National Championships. Seeded third, she upset top seed Nurul Nisa Najihah Nazir 11-9, 11-6, 11-9 in the Division Two final at the Nicol David International Squash Centre. Yashica, a Form One student of SMK Convent Green Lane in Penang, was thrilled to win her first national-level title. "This is the first time I played in a national-level tournament and I never expected to win the title. "It's definitely a big boost for my career as I want to turn professional by the age of 17 or 18," she said. Recalling her involvement in squash, she said: "I had the option either to follow in the footsteps of my father and my twin brothers or play squash. "I wanted to do something different and new, so I picked up squash. "I am proud of my brothers who have been selected for the Australian national Under-16 team and I too want to represent Malaysia in squash. "My dream is to play in the World Championships. I took up squash after I was inspired by eight-time world champion Nicol David whom I met in Penang a few years ago. "Nicol's motivation is a big boost as she is my idol. My other idols are eight-time world champion Nour El Sherbini of Egypt and world No. 4 Olivia Weaver of the United States. "I thank my dad for funding my trip to play in the Hong Kong Junior Open last week. It was my first overseas competition and I finished 13th," said Yashica, who is trained by three coaches: Khoo Teng Hin, Aaron Soyza and Ammar. Last year, Yashica was named as the top eight rising star in the CIMB National Junior category. Jiwa said he is proud of his daughter's success, and he hopes she will go far in squash. "Winning at the National Championships is a boost to her, and I hope she will continue to shine in competitions," said Jiwa, who played in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2002 KL World Cup.
