'Today was the most memorable squash match of my entire career' - Nicol
Astro Awani
Disember 22, 2014 08:11 MYT
Disember 22, 2014 08:11 MYT
'Today was the most memorable squash match of my entire career' - Nicol
Malaysian squash icon Datuk Nicol David expressed that her victory in reclaiming the world championship for the eighth time in Cairo, Egypt, yesterday is the most memorable experience of her entire career.
And an excited and jubilant Nicol took to Twitter right after the match after she beat Raneem El Weleily of Egypt:
"I still can't believe I got through to win this title. Today was the most memorable squash match of my entire career, playing Raneem in this final of the World Championships. Thank you everyone for the wishes! Can't wait to come home now."
Nicol lost the opening set 5-11 but managed to equalise in the next set 11-8. In the third set, she seemed to have lost focus and went down 7-11 and also in the fourth set 10-6.
Nicol’s fighting spirit soon emerged and she equalised 14-12 to bring her to the final set, which she managed to finally beat Raneem 11-5.
As soon as she grabbed the winning point, the Penangite laid down on the court and cried tears of joy.
Minister of Youth and Sports, Khairy Jamaluddin, also took to Twitter to congratulate Nicol over her success:
‘GOAT’ is an acronym for ‘Greatest Of All Time’ while the reference to ‘Amsterdam’ is believed to be Nicol’s training regime in the Dutch capital with her personal coach, Liz Irving.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Nicol said that the victory was not something easy to achieve.
"I told myself I wanted to win the last point. I just kept repeating that it's not over until it's over.
"Raneem was just playing too well, I just had to find something in me...I just wouldn't let go and just kept fighting," said Nicol as quoted on the squash website www.squashsite.co.uk.
The win means that she is the first player to have been dethroned but managed to snatch the title again within one year.
Nicol first won the title of world champion in 2005 and her winning streak continued in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
Malaysians all around also took every opportunity they could to express their pride and to congratulate their hero: