KUALA LUMPUR — After missing out for four years, national women’s squash star S. Sivasangari is set to play for Malaysia in the World Squash Team Championships, scheduled to take place in Hong Kong starting on December 15.
The last time she competed in the tournament was in 2018 in Dalian, China. She was a rookie player back then, playing alongside Datuk Nicol Ann David, Low Wee Wern, and Aifa Azman.
In the 2022 edition in Cairo, Sivasangari was unable to represent the country as she was still recovering from a car accident, while in 2020, the tournament was cancelled due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking to Scoop, Sivasangari said that the situation this time is very different compared to 2018 because now, she will be leading the Malaysian contingent alongside Rachel Arnold and the Azman sisters—Aifa and Aira.
“I think it’s been quite a while since I last participated in this tournament, but I believe this time will be fun. The four of us have been training really well. Rachel is in great form, and I’m still working on getting back to my best. Hopefully, we’ll perform well.
“It’s always a great feeling to play for Malaysia. I missed the last edition, but I always feel excited to represent the country. This time, it feels a bit different, definitely fun, but with a bit of pressure on me. Overall, I’m really looking forward to it,” she said.
Meanwhile, the national women’s team has been placed in Group E alongside France, Ireland, and Macau.
At the same time, the men’s team, led by Ng Ean Yow, Syafiq Kamal, Addeen Idrakie, and Sanjay Jeeva, is drawn into Group E together with Scotland and the Philippines.
In the last edition, the women’s team finished third, sharing the podium with England.
The men’s team bowed out in the knockout stage and concluded the tournament in 11th place overall.
In preparation for this championship, Sivasangari acknowledged the limited time for the national team to undergo centralised training, as each player had a busy schedule with the PSA Tour tournaments.
However, she is confident that despite the tight schedule, her teammates will put in their best efforts to prepare for the upcoming competition.
“It’s very hard to say (about conducting centralised training) because all of us have back-to-back tournaments. Last week, we participated in the Singapore Open, and next week, we’ll be at the Hong Kong Open.
“Plus, the season is still ongoing, so it’s difficult to organise centralised training anywhere. It’s better for each of us to focus on our individual games and prepare well for the world championship,” she added. — November 29, 2024