KUALA LUMPUR – The Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) is seeking a bigger allocation under Budget 2027 to strengthen its grassroots and junior development programmes after Malaysia’s outstanding performance at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
SRAM president Gerard Monteiro said additional funding was needed to ensure a steady pipeline of quality players capable of sustaining the country’s success at future Asian Games and the Olympics.
His call comes after squash emerged as one of Malaysia’s biggest contributors at the Games, winning four of the five available gold medals.
Ng Eain Yow and S. Sivasangari successfully defended their men’s and women’s singles titles before Malaysia added both team golds, with the men defeating Pakistan 2-0 and the women overcoming Hong Kong 2-1.
The four gold medals accounted for nearly half of Malaysia’s nine-gold haul in Aichi-Nagoya, matching the country’s best-ever gold-medal return at an Asian Games.
However, Monteiro said SRAM could not afford to become complacent and must now focus on developing the next generation to ensure the sport’s success is sustained.
Speaking to Scoop, he said more resources were needed for players coming through the ranks, particularly juniors and emerging athletes who could eventually take over from the current national stars.
“More importantly for us, we want to have extra for the players coming through the ranks, development, juniors, and even in the podium, they can support a little bit more.
“So that the likes of C. Ameeshenraj, who has done well in his Asian Games as well, can come through the ranks and be ready.
“The likes of Ameeshenraj, Duncan Lee, all these boys, would be ready for the next Asian Games,” he said.
Ameeshenraj was one of Malaysia’s standout performers in Japan, producing the decisive point in the 2-1 semi-final victory over defending champions India before winning the opening point in the men’s team final against Pakistan.
Monteiro said the youngster’s performances demonstrated the importance of investing in the development pathway rather than concentrating only on athletes already established at the highest level.
He added that current Road to Gold (RTG) athletes, including Eain Yow and Sivasangari, already receive substantial support for their preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, including coaching and tournament expenses.
“Their plan up to 2028 is there. So, their coaching, their tournament expenses, everything is covered.
“More importantly for us, we want to have extra for the players coming through the ranks, development, juniors, and, you know, even in the podium, they can support a little bit more,” he said.
Monteiro said Malaysia’s record in squash at the Asian Games showed what sustained investment could achieve, but warned that funding remained essential to prevent the sport from stagnating or regressing.
“Funding needs to be there so that we don’t stagnate or regress.
“In any sport, funding is very important because you cannot just depend on whatever the government gives,” he said.
With Eain Yow and Sivasangari set to represent Malaysia when squash makes its Olympic debut at LA 2028, Monteiro said SRAM’s focus must also be on developing sufficient depth behind the two established stars.
He said additional funding could allow SRAM to strengthen its technical structure and bring in more specialists to support the development of younger players.
At the same time, Monteiro urged the private sector to play a greater role in supporting Malaysian squash, saying responsibility for developing the sport should not rest solely with the government.
“With the momentum that has been built following the successful Asian Games, we feel that more corporates should do their part in terms of elevating the sport further.
“Right now, a lot of people are looking towards squash. Before, it was just badminton.
“So right now, I feel that this is the opportunity for squash to also take centre stage,” he said.
Monteiro said the Aichi-Nagoya performance should therefore be viewed as a platform to build a stronger and deeper squash programme rather than the culmination of Malaysia’s progress.
He said SRAM wanted emerging players such as Ameeshenraj and Duncan to receive the necessary support and exposure to eventually challenge for major honours.
“We would like to see them come through the ranks so that they would be ready,” he said.
For Monteiro, the challenge is now to ensure Malaysia’s success is sustainable by investing in the players who are still coming through the ranks.
With squash contributing four of Malaysia’s nine gold medals in Aichi-Nagoya, SRAM believes the performance provides an even stronger case for greater investment in the sport’s future.
Budget 2027 will be tabled by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow. – October 8, 2026.