Decade-long relationship: Liz Irving (right) has been coaching Malaysia’s Nicol David for almost 10 years in Amsterdam.
PETALING JAYA: After training world No. 1 Nicol David for 10 years, Liz Irving believes that the Penangite is by far one of the most amazing athlete she has ever coached.
Nicol moved to Squash City, Amsterdam, at the tender age of 19 to train under Irving.
Since then, Nicol, now 30, has gone from strength-to-strength, winning a record seven world titles, and looks set to dominate the women’s squash scene for a long time to come.
And Irving believes that Nicol, with her determination and the discipline she puts into training, will have no problems playing until she’s 37 or38.
“Nicol and I have been working together for nearly 10 years. Not a single day goes by when she is unable to achieve her training goals,” said Irving.
“That itself, is quite remarkable and her total commitment towards her game is second to none.
“Her drive and passion for the game, her motivation to be the best she can be, is also very special and it’s a rare quality in any athlete.
“In terms of preparation and facing the occasional defeats, we are always assessing her on and off the court. She’s always extremely well prepared and the losses that she had are good learning experiences for her.
“It is rare though for her to lose but she always learns from them and picks herself up quickly. As for age factor, she is actually just entering her prime years in squash.
“Female players generally peak between 28-37, so she still has a good many years left. We will however continue to always look at how to make each year better.
“Nicol herself will continue to keep developing her game and every small improvement is big at this stage,” added Irving.
THE STAR
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