Cover Sivasangari Subramaniam wins her first Gold-level Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour title this week (Photo: Squash - PSA World Tour/Facebook)
Sivasangari Subramaniam wins her first Gold-level Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour title this week (Photo: Squash - PSA World Tour/Facebook)
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Sivasangari Subramaniam defeats the World No.1, World No.4 and World No.2 to win her first Gold-level Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour title this week
Malaysian squash champion Sivasangari Subramaniam made history this week by winning the GillenMarkets London Classic Squash Classic this week after beating her rival since her junior days and World No. 2 Hania El Hammamy of Egypt in the dramatic final on April 1 at the Alexandra Palace. Sivasangari is the first Malaysian to advance to a Gold-level final Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour since Datuk Nicol David did so in 2015.
In an intense 81-minute match, Sivasangari played a valiant game, defeating World No. 1 Nour El Sherbini of Egypt, World No. 2 Hania, and World No. 4 Nele Gilis of Belgium, emerging as the victor in an emotional moment that met with rounds of applause from the crowd. The 25-year-old squash star became the first player outside the top ten to beat world number one Nour El Sherbini since 2015 at the inaugural London Squash Classic quarter-finals on March 31.
See also: Sivasangari Subramaniam and 18 Asian women in sport to know
“It feels great. Nicol has set the bar really high and she’s a legend in this sport. But I’m just happy to be winning this tournament, it’s a huge confident booster for me and I hope to achieve more in the future,” the young World No. 13 and CIMB brand ambassador tells Tatler.
The 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games champion has become a beacon of inspiration and resilience to many Malaysians and aspiring athletes, given her incredible comeback to sports after devastating injuries in a 2022 car crash that saw her out of the Commonwealth Games that year.
At the news of the Malaysia number one squash player’s historic London Classic win, Datuk Nicol David herself posted on Sivasangari’s Instagram: “Awesome fight!! Congratulations on reaching the finals, @sivasangari.”
See also: 5 athletes from Southeast Asia who are climbing the sporting ranks
The London Classic is Sivasangari’s first title since winning the bronze level Hong Kong Football Club Open in November last year. With her sights set on winning a gold medal at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Malaysians everywhere have also set their hopes on the squash champ to be the first Malaysian to bring home a gold medal for squash.
“I love and enjoy playing squash a lot, therefore, I want to achieve all the goals I’ve set. I’ve been working really hard towards all the goals I want to achieve. To be seeing results in tournaments I play makes me trust the process along the way and allow me to believe in myself more.” Sivasangari says.
Nicol has set the bar really high and she’s a legend in this sport. Winning this tournament is a huge confident booster for me, and I hope to achieve more in the future.
Previously contributing to Esquire Malaysia, Expat Lifestyle and Newsweek, Tania oversees digital stories across Tatler’s key content pillars, also leading the Front & Female platform exploring issues and topics affecting women today.
