By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, OCT 13: Eight-year-old squash prodigy Iszea Amani Ishak hopes to be the next Nicol David.
The Squash Association Kuching (SAK) Under-9 (U9) player shone after winning a medal at the recent Lau Swee Ngoung Squash championship held at SMK Scared Heart Sibu.
Iszea said she was thrilled to bring home her first medal and thanked her parents and coach.
“Winning gives me motivation and confidence. I hope to train hard and win more tournaments. I want to become a professional squash player like my idol, Datuk Nichol David,” she told DayakDaily in a recent interview.
Iszea said she was not scared of the game and could endure it and played according to her coach’s instructions.
“I do not feel tired when I train, and I am improving my skills as I have learned the rules of the game,” she said.
The SK Rakyat student said her schoolwork does not clash with her daily training routine and said she likely inherited her talent in sports from her father, playfully boasting that she played better than her 10-year-old sister, Azalea Amani Ishak, who also plays for SAK.
“I train with her, but there is no rivalry between us,” she revealed.
According to her mother, Aidazurinawaty Taim, Iszea was introduced to the sport by a friend a year ago.
“After being given a chance to hold a squash racquet for the first time, it was without any doubt she had the talent in it,” she said.
Aidazurinawaty said that Iszea trains almost daily under the watchful eyes of the association’s coach from Pakistan.
“At the moment, we pay for all her expenses. It is not a cheap sport, but we hope there will be assistance to elevate their (Iszea and Azalea) talents.
“The coach we had said she had the talent, but we also want her to have a normal life and a good education. There is a dilemma, but for now, she is training for an active and healthy life and to stay fit and ready for the next tournament, which is the Kuala Lumpur Junior Open 2023 from Dec 5-10.” — DayakDaily
