Normally, it would take most people years of experience and achievements to be considered a legend. Some are close to achieving those goals while others still have a long way to go. Having said that, this Malaysian athlete proved that while she may not be in the Top 10 World Ranking, she is on her way to become a legend herself.
Over the weekend, the GillenMarkets London Squash Classic 2024 tournament was held at the Alexandra Palace, where our very own Sivasangari Subramaniam competed against Egyptian World No.1 Nour El Sherbini. The match was intense as the two athletes battled it out until the 25-year-old Malaysian emerged victorious.
The World No. 13 was then announced as the winner, beating the current world champion by finishing the match with an 11-9 win. According to The Sun Daily, this marked the first time any player out of the PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) Top 10 World Ranking has beaten the Egyptian athlete since Annie Au in 2015.
The last athlete to achieve gold level final in the tournament was actually Datuk Nicol David in 2015 so this also makes Sivasangari the first Malaysian player since the Squash legend to earn that win. Speaking to the media after the game, Sivasangari said, “I’m still speechless. That went really quickly and I don’t know what was happening on the court, beating the World No.1! I respect Sherbini a lot, she’s the best on tour and is really talented. To beat a player like that, I came in with my ‘A Game’ today”.
Shortly after her win, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh tweeted to congratulate the young Squash player saying, “Road To Gold!! Congratulations @sangari_99. Truly standing in the eyes of the world”. Even the Squash legend herself Datuk Nicol David posted on Instagram Story congratulating Sivasangari on her recent match.
If beating the World No.1 wasn’t amazing enough, the Malaysian player and New Zealand’s Paul Coll have been crowned the GillenMarkets London Squash Classic champions in their respective categories! Not only will she be bringing home a trophy but she’ll also be taking home a cash prize of USD$17,598 (RM83,141)!
“There are no words really to summarise. I’m really pleased with how I handled myself this week, beating three of the top four players. It’s been an unbelievable journey after what happened two years ago,” said the Kedah-born star who recalled her near-death road accident in 2022.
We too would like to congratulate Sivasangari on her victory and wish her all the best for her future tournaments!
Sources: The Sun Daily, Twitter, Instagram, PSA World Tour
