Runa Reta - WISPA Squash Pro on Tour on www.squashtalk.com

... Second part of an Interview with Current World Champion and Leading Figure for Women's Squash, Nicol David ... [also: part I ]

Drawing Nicol in Qatar last December brought things full circle between the two of us. In fact, two years prior, I was playing the Qatar Classic for the first time, and knew that I would see her there. Nicol and I had first met in Brazil for the 1997 World Junior Championships (when she was a mere 13 years old) and then again in 1999, where we spent a bit of time together (largely from my having to play both her and her sister in the individual and team events!)

From these brief encounters, I couldn’t be sure that- 4 years later- she would remember who I was. Clearly, I didn’t know this young, exuberant Malaysian well at the time. Not only did she greet me with the kind of excitement that would be fitting amongst long-time friends, but 2 months later (after several casual emails back and forth) she invited me to come to her hometown in Penang after the completion of the KL Open in Malaysia.

Impulsively, I accepted the offer. However, upon arriving in Kuala Lumpur, I started to question my decision to follow Nicol up to Penang. Seeing how much media attention she received in her own country and the amount of people that requested her time on and off the court, I wondered whether I would see any of this Malaysian icon in her hometown.

Once again, my reservations were unnecessary. Everyday for a week, Nicol would drive 30 minutes to come pick myself and another squash player up from the resort we were staying at (we would have stayed with Nicol but she was already hosting yet another player in her house!), train with us throughout the day, and then spend the evenings showing us the best spots to eat and hang out around town. Her sole preoccupation throughout our stay in Penang was ensuring that we (as her guests) were always happy, comfortable and well-fed! These acts of generosity and hospitality were quite extraordinary, considering that we barely even knew each other!

From that point onwards, my friendship and admiration for Nicol as a person grew tremendously, for it is one thing to be the best in the world, but it is a whole other challenge to be able to do it with style and grace. The kindness, modesty and laid-back attitude evidenced in Penang has proven to be the central pillars of Nicol’s nature- traits that allow her to deal with growing fame and fortune with a balanced outlook that is truly remarkable at her age (or any age for that matter).

Her grounded personality- which can be largely attributed to a conscientious and loving upbringing by a close-knit family of five- has served her well throughout her exotic experiences and unique position as a major sports star in Malaysia.

Indeed, David has led a bit of an enchanted life, having seen and done many things that we could only imagine in our wildest dreams. Climbing the Great Wall of China, speaking personally with the Prime Minister of Malaysia, holding the position of goodwill ambassador to the UN, helicoptering over Mount Everest, etc. These exciting opportunities juxtaposed with Nicol’s humble, self-effacing style make her story that much more intriguing. In part 2 of this interview, I ask a variety of different and lighter questions to get a better sense of the personality, interests and experiences of one of the most popular and well-liked players on the WISPA tour.

Runa: What has been your favourite event so far?

Nicol David: The Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, 1998. Or if you mean any kind of event apart from tournaments, then it would have to be the International Olympic Meeting in Singapore in 2005, where I got to witness the bidding for the host city of the 2012 Olympic Games and be a part of the WSF team with Jahangir Khan, Susie Simcock and Christian Leyton, lobbying to get squash into those Olympics.

Runa: What have been the top 3 coolest moments of your career?

Nicol David: Winning the World Junior title in 2001 for the second time in my home town Penang with everybody there (family, all my relatives, friends from school and squash); having lunch at the same table with the Queen of England at the Commonwealth Games 2002 in Manchester; and getting a phone call on my cell phone from the Prime Minister of Malaysia right after I won the World Open title (which calls for an additional coolest moment…winning that title!)

Runa: How do you think other players view you a) on the court and b) off the court?

Nicol David : a) a player that likes to run b) anything goes for me (She means that quite literally. In past events, Nicol has been known to offer her bed to losing qualifiers- who sometimes don’t have a place to stay- while happily taking a spot on the hotel floor to sleep!)

Runa: You’re known by your friends and family as Small Fart. How did you get this endearing nickname?

Nicol David: My sisters called me Small Fart because I was the youngest and the brat of the family. It was a nicer way to put it than being called a brat. My first email was under that name and I used it for a long time. When I won the World Junior Title 1999 in Belgium I was interviewed by BBC on the phone. They asked me for my email address to follow up on any further interviews but I was too embarrassed to say it out loud, so I spelt it out for him. He read it and just started laughing. That was when I decided that I needed to change to an official email address!

Runa: What is it like to be literally famous in your own country? (having people constantly calling out your name, wanting pictures and autographs, being headline news in the papers?) I know you cringe at the notoriety but how do you handle it at the end of the day?

Nicol David: You would love to see my face just as you asked this question huh?!? I think just to get the media coverage the way that it has been for squash in Malaysia is definitely huge. It is nice that people appreciate what I have done and give plenty of praises always. I never thought I would get this sort of attention just by playing squash but it’s fantastic to see how far squash has come from where it was before.
(funny sidenote: one of the aspects that Nicol cherishes about living in Amsterdam is her relative anonymity in the city. However, during one of my past training trips to Holland, Nicol and I were out and about when two men came racing up to her asking for a picture and autograph- needless to say I was howling with laughter, while she posed, rather embarrassed, with her fans….looks like she can’t escape stardom even in Europe!)

Runa: I think that it is safe to say that food is one of your greatest passions…you (and the other Malaysians) eat like monsters, but are all the size of my finger- where do you put all that food?!? What is the correlation between Malaysians and the consumption of copious amounts of food?!?

Nicol David: Squash is the word! That’s where the food goes to and the good thing is that I will have to make sure I play this sport for a long time to know that I can continue to stuff my face! Malaysians are surrounded by a variety of foods and styles of cooking; it is easily accessible and cheap but in smaller portions so that you can try everything at once! This is what we are used to over there.

Runa: You like to play around with your hair colour…what will be the next shade you’ll go for?

Nicol David: That’s a tough one, but I might do streaks of a bright maroon colour. I have to ask my hairdresser for his expertise.

Runa: What could I give you (money or otherwise) to let me beat you the next time we play?

Nicol David : More food!

Runa: I’m going to hold you to your word on that!!!

I like to think of Nicol David as the Roger Federer of squash. She’s exceptionally gifted, she has accomplished more at her young age than anyone else before her, and she is expected to have a long career at the top of the game, smashing through the record books on the way. But more interestingly, she is similar to Federer in that people seem to be genuinely rooting for her success, despite her already dominating presence at the top. Generally, in the face of overwhelming one-sidedness, crowds tend to put their support behind the underdog; these two athletes negate that trend.

The reason why we want to see these types of players do well is because of their distinctive charismatic nature and likeable demeanor that help to quietly dissolve feelings of jealousy and envy towards them. Nicol has proven to be so kind, gracious, modest, and such a fantastic ambassador of the game that there is virtually nothing bad that you can say about her (except maybe that she is too nice!) Whether a fellow competitor or an avid spectator, these traits that emanate brightly from her tiny frame leave us with no alternative but to embrace her spirit and cheer her endeavours. And certainly, speaking as someone who has been able to glimpse into the inner-workings of this girl’s life, I can honestly say that there isn’t a more genuine, deserving person of all the successes that she has achieved.

For what she has accomplished on the court, and for the way that she has handled herself off the court, Nicol David is a true role model for all sportspeople, and someone who will continue to command our respect and admiration for long years to come.