Thank You, Next
Her World Malaysia|June 2019

With Datuk Nicol Ann David retiring from squash this month, Adelina Tan catches up with Malaysia’s most-decorated athlete to find out what she’ll be doing in the years to come.

Thank You, Next

You know you’ve crossed over from champion athlete to living legend when even those who don’t follow the sport know you by name and by sight. Throughout her illustrious 20-year career, squash queen Datuk Nicol Ann David has appeared on the pages of newspapers and magazines so many times – with websites later joining the fray – that she’s been woven into the national narrative. The girl-next-door from Penang, with a determined set to her jaw and a fiery gaze on-court, who would go on to be the very first Malaysian to earn the highest accolade in her sport: Greatest of All Time.

And then there are the stories, passed on through word of mouth; of how she still frequents her favourite food stalls in Penang on trips back home, always ready with a smile and greeting. The latter is the first thing Nicol does when the team meets her, at photogenic The Linc KL, immediately putting us at ease with her laid-back charm. You see, the truth about photo shoots is that they’re anything but glamorous and, outside the controlled confines of a photography studio, improvisation is necessary. Without any ado, Nicol plops down onto a stool beside a long table scattered with makeup, at a quiet corner of the neighbourhood mall.

It is here that we catch up on life post announcement of her retirement; news that set Malaysians abuzz as although we knew it was coming, we hadn’t expected it to be so soon. Seeing as squash – and playing it professionally – has dominated more than half of her life thus far, I wondered how it’d felt to arrive at the decision and, subsequently, to announce it under intense public scrutiny. Nicol reveals that she had a year and a half to brace herself for the transition. “Of course I was nervous, and it was scary when I imagined how people would respond, but I was prepared for it.”

THE END OF AN ERA

This story is from the June 2019 edition of Her World Malaysia.

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This story is from the June 2019 edition of Her World Malaysia.

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