2 days ago
Foo fighter in Zoe makes sure nothing locks her down
PENANG: Squash player Zoe Foo was all smiles as she stepped off the court at the National Championships despite ending her campaign in the quarter-finals at the hands of top seed Aira Azman.
The 26-year-old Zoe, who had quit her corporate job in June to make the return to competitive squash, put on a valiant performance but was overpowered by Aira at the Nicol David International Squash Centre on Friday (Aug 15) as she fell 12-14, 11-13, 11-6, 2-11.
"It's so different being back," said Zoe.
"I still get goosebumps watching my peers play, whether on screen or in person, and I knew I had to do something about it."
Zoe's journey back to the courts has been anything but straightforward.
After a successful junior career, Zoe moved to the United States to further her education and play squash at George Washington University, and graduated right in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.
"Graduating during Covid made things difficult. I had to come back to Malaysia because it was tough to get a job in the United States.
"I was lucky to land a consulting job here and I ended up working at the same firm for four years," she said.
While work took priority for Zoe, her love for squash never left. As the itch slowly grew, she eventually made the decision to lace up her squash shoes once again.
"I think I always wanted to play competitively again but between the lockdowns and the demands of consulting, it was hard to get back into the groove.
"But last year, I started hitting the ball on and off again. This year, with work getting tougher, I decided to quit my job and give squash a proper go," said Zoe, who had a career-best ranking of world No. 93 in 2015.
Zoe's return to the game has been swift and determined, having competed in Tasmania and reached the semi-finals of a PSA 3K Challenger event before arriving in Penang.
"I'm trying to play as many smaller tournaments as I can to get my ranking up. That way I don't keep drawing top players in the first round," she said.
With the National Championships now behind her, Zoe said she has already mapped out her calendar.
"It's going to take some time getting used to competing again, but I'm excited, and I've got a lot of tournaments lined up.
"I just want to enjoy the journey and see where it takes me," she said.
