By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Oct 15: With the inclusion of squash in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Squash Association Kuching (SAK) president Dr Vikneswaran Tharumalingam hopes to bring Sarawakians to the big stage.
But to do that, said the otolaryngologist, the sport needs to be further developed.
Dr Vikneswaran said that in any sport, there is a need to develop athletes at the grassroots level. Only then could they identify potential talents in athletes as young as six or seven to ensure squash continues to flourish.
“We cannot just look at it short-term but for a longer period; a 10-year plan could be ideal so that they can train properly,” he said in an interview with DayakDaily.
Elaborating on the talent selection process, Dr Vikneswaran shared that SAK trains and identifies young talents and goes to schools with assistance from the association’s coach to scout for talents.
“The coach will later select who has potential and develop them with basic training and to polish their skills. This is the initiative we took to sustain talent in the sport,” he said.
Dr Vikneswaran said he was delighted when he learned that Malaysian squash athletes did well in the recent Asian Games in China by bringing home gold medals.
“It boosts the sport here and the country as a whole. If not, we would still have a shortfall. Such a result proves that Malaysia has talent and is good at it.”
However, Dr Vikneswaran insisted that despite that, the consistency to do well on the world stage must start at a young age.
“It must be done holistically with professional coaches and talented young athletes—including commitment from all parties such as the family, athletes, coaches, and associations.”
Overall, Dr Vikneswaran believes that to be good in sports, athletes should see sports not just as an activity but as part of their lives.
“It could be a profession for life. After we finish (retire from competing), we continue through academics and coaching. So, if you believe in sports as a livelihood, we will do well in whatever sport we are good at,” he said.
Dr Vikneswaran wants more state-of-the-art squash facilities to ensure athletes get quality training. He also hopes that the Sarawak government can assist them in developing the sport in the State.
Dr Vikneswaran added that with squash now recognised as an Olympic sport, they could now focus on training Sarawak players to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California, in the United States.
“We must move forward; we need new blood in the sport’s authority and get us on the podium. SAK hopes to play a part in developing athletes in the sport and making us great again in squash, or else we won’t have another Datuk Nicol David,” he said. — DayakDaily
