SIVASANGARI ON HER OWN PATH

M'sia squash star downplays comparisons with David as she strives to become No.l

- Kimberly Kwek

Nicol David is a name that Malaysian squash player Sivasangari Subramaniam cannot get away from.

The comparisons between Sivasangari and her compatriot David, a legend in the sport, have only grown since the former clinched the singles and team golds at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, with people back home hailing her as Malaysia's next squash ace.

It is not hard to see why from her achievements in the past year. At the London Squash Classic, the seventh seed beat three top-five players Nour El Sherbini, Nele Coll and Hania El Hammamy en route to claiming the title, becoming the first Malaysian since 2015 to win a gold-level or higher Professional Squash Association Tour event.

A month later, she cracked the top 10 in the world rankings, making her the first Malaysian to do so since former world No. 1 David retired in 2019.

However, the 25-year-old wants to forge her own path, saying: "We're both unique people, she's obviously a legend of the game.