Skip to main content

Seeing Squash In Olympics Will Be Pinnacle For Squash Fraternity - Nicol

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 (Bernama) -- The effort to put squash as one of the events to be contested at the 2020 Olympics is the priority for the squash fraternity, said world women's number one Datuk Nicol Ann David.

"Seeing squash in the Olympics would be the pinnacle for all squash fraternity.

"It is about 12 days more (before the official announcement by the International Olympic Committee) before we will know the answer and I hope squash will be chosen.

"I'm so excited about it and confident that squash will be the one. After all the hard work and campaigning, I think we have a strong case," said Nicol when met after being appointed as the brand ambassador for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, here today.

The year-to-year basis sponsorship would enable Nicol to gain the airline's platinum status which provide her with hassle free travelling privileges.

"It is a feather in our cap and we are very proud that Nicol, being the world's best women's squash player, not only accepts but duly endorses our brand as the preffered airline despite her gruelling travel requirements," said Air France-KLM Country Manager, Estee Ng.

On May 29, the IOC had announced that the governing body for the Olympics had shortlisted three sports to be included in the 2020 Olympic Games, namely squash, wrestling and baseball.

The IOC is expected to reach its final decision on which sport to include after a vote in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Sept 8.

However, Nicol noted that she would not be able to be in Buenos Aires with the other World Squash Federation representatives to hear IOC's final decision.

"I am not able to join them as I will be here (in Kuala Lumpur) to play in the Malaysian Open (from Sept 10 to 15). I know we have a very strong team going there," said Nicol.

Later, in a separate event at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin pledged to give squash all the support it needed in its bid to get into the 2020 Olympics.

"Squash is in the final shortlist with wrestling and that makes it very tough. There is still a chance though and we will help in any way possible to get squash selected for the Games," said Khairy.

Khairy added that he believed that squash would be chosen and it would help to boost the sport in the country.

-- BERNAMA

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Ex-coach's jail sentence cut to a year

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal yesterday sentenced former athletics coach C. Ramanathan to 12 months' jail for molesting two junior athletes 19 years ago. A three-man bench led by Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus unanimously dismissed Ramanathan's appeal against conviction, but varied the jail sentence of four years to a year, which was to run concurrently. Following yesterday's ruling, Ramanathan, 75, a former teacher, walked out a free man as he had served 10 months in Kajang Prison. Convicts get one-third remission for good behaviour while in prison. However, he will lose his pension. Hishamudin, who sat with Datuk Abdul Wahab Patail and Datuk Linton Albert, said the court found no merit to overturn the conviction. "However, in reducing the sentence, we considered Ramanathan's age and the long years the appeal has taken." Deputy public prosecutor Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud submitted that then High Court judge Tan Sri Abdull Hamid E...

Govt Always Gives Emphasis To Sporting Culture, Says PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, May 29 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badaw i said the government always gives emphasis on cultivating a strong sporting culture in achieving excellence at the international level. As such, the Prime Minister said, it was important to scout for young talents in sports. "I observe that the Malaysia Games (Sukma) has become one of the important platforms to do so. "In this arena, the potentials and skills of the youngsters can be identified for development so that they can achieve greater success in sports," he said in his message in the souvenir book of the 12th Sukma from May 31 until June 9. Abdullah said he was aware that competition in sports was very keen and challenging but this did not mean that Malaysian athletes were incapable of competing at the international level. "The fact is that we have all the characteristics required to be excellent. We must inculcate a strong fighting spirit so that we don't easily surrender,...

Indonesia Choose Komodo Dragon As SEA Games Mascot

KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 (Bernama) -- Host for the 26th SEA Games, Indonesia has chosen the Komodo dragon as mascot for the 2011 Games which will be held in Jakarta and Palembang from Nov 11 to 25. The Indonesia SEA Games Organizing Committee (Inasoc), was qouted by Jakarta Post as saying that a pair of Komodo dragons, a male (Modo) and a female (Modi), were chosen in recognition of the Republic's conservation efforts to protect the dwindling number of the rare lizard. Modo and Modi were unveiled last night at a function in Jakarta, to mark the 200-day countdown before the games open on Nov 11 in Palembang. The Komodo dragons, the largest lizard in the world, only live on the Indonesian islands of Komodo in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara. On Jan 15, Inasoc unveiled its logo, a Garuda eagle, to symbolize the power and grandeur of Indonesia. Indonesia dominated the Games between 1977, when it first competed, and 1997, failing to top the medal charts only twice in that p...