The world's top ranked squash player Nicol David spoke to Al-Ahram Weekly after capturing the world's title at the Soho Square Squash Championship in Sharm El-Sheikh It is not her first time in Egypt. The world's No 1 squash player from Malaysia has played in various tournaments in Cairo -- the Heliopolis Open September 2010, Hurghada International championship in April 2009 and the 16th Women's World Team Squash December in 2008. "But I hadn't won any tournaments in Egypt. This was my first time to win in Soho Square." Ghada Abdel-Kader reports During the Soho tournament David said she was delighted to be competing in Sharm El-Sheikh for the first time. The champion believes female Egyptian squash players are "really talented." She told Al-Ahram Weekly, "I played with Egyptian junior Farah Abdel-Meguid in the round of 32. She is a talented player. I think it was her first time in a World Open. So, I think I need to watch her next time. "The Egyptian players had flair and very different as compared to any other squash player around the world. When you play the Egyptian players you have to be always very solid and focused to do well. You have to watch out; they have good shots." David's father Desmond said he was "very happy and very proud as usual." We knew it was going to be tough. Nicol doesn't say it was that tough but Omneya Abdel-Qawi played very well." David's mother, Ann-Marie David, is a retired Malaysian Chinese school teacher while father Desmond is a Malaysian Indian engineer who is also a former state footballer. David's two sisters Lianne and Cheryl "used to play a squash as well. The three of us play for Malaysia but at the moment they moved to teaching but I learnt a lot from them when I was younger." David is enjoying her life though there's nothing else except squash. "At the moment, I am very happy playing squash and I'm really focused on squash. So, nothing is going on really." Ann-Marie laughed. "David spends her spare time listening to music, watching movies and going shopping. She also loves swimming." The national coach of Malaysia discovered David "when I was playing in a tournament in Malaysia. He said I had potential and after, the Malaysian government supported me to travel and play tournaments. I was very lucky to have the opportunity for this." "We didn't discover her talent; it came by chance," added Ann-Marie. "She really has a passion for the game. She loves to play squash and we are fortunate and blessed people to help her along the way." Ann-Marie added, "We always support Nicol as a family. We don't attend all the matches. We can't be all over the world so we follow up on the internet and keep in touch with her but in the last few years we attended all the world championships with her." Being a close family and because her family are her biggest supporters, Nicol dedicates all her victories to them. "My winnings always go to my family especially my parents who always supported me with my decision to play squash and they are always there backing me 100 per cent," David said. When she prepares herself for a tournament "I certainly plan with my coach a new programme. If it is a full season before a tournament we produce a good training programme in the build-up. If there's a short time between tournaments I get a good rest and just do not do too much heavy training." Being the top in women's squash is not easy. "I think I just enjoy it a lot and my whole aim is to be a complete squash player. So, I won't stop until I keep improving myself, performance and my results. So far that's my main focus." David's dreams for the future is "to keep what I am doing in squash and also run squash academies in Malaysia for both men and women. But my main dream is trying to get squash into the Olympics whether I am still playing or not. I want to be around to help. There is no squash in London 2012 or in 2016. We have to fight for 2020. We have a good sport. Squash is something that deserves a spot in the Olympics. I feel strongly about that." David, 27, from Penang, has been playing squash since she was five years old and professionally for the last 10 years. She was the world champion in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009. She won the British Open title in 2005, 2006 and 2008. She also the won Asian Games gold medal in 1998 and 2006. She won the World Junior title in 1999 and 2001 and became the first person ever to claim the title for a second time. She was Asian champion in 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2004 and won a silver medal in the Commonwealth Games in 2002. In 2009 and 2010 she won the Hong Kong Open, Malaysian Open, Singapore Masters, Asian Championship, Cayman Islands Open, KL Open, Chennai Open, World Games, Seoul Open and Texas Open. She became the world champion after winning the World Open title four times in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009. "Winning the world title is a new feeling every time," added David. David was invited to carry the Olympic torch for Malaysia during the build up to the Athens Olympics in 2004. She has been a goodwill ambassador for the UN Development Programme in Malaysia. "It is just a great honour to be part of that." By Ghada Abdel-Kader
