Nicol aim s to empower girls to re ach their full potential in sports.

Nicol David has been acknowledged as the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) female squash player with a record eight World Championship titles and being the top ranked player in the world for a total of 112 months, 109 months consecutively from (2006-2015). She will call time at the end of the 2018/2019 Professional Squash Association (PSA) season in June. Nicol announced her retirement yesterday, a week before she competes at the World Championships in Chicago, United States from Feb 23-March 2. She caught up with StarSport’s

JOASH EE DE SILVA over Skype where she spelled out her retirement plans. Q: You said you are retiring because the hard work has taken its toll on your body. But would you also say that it is because your competitive nature doesn’t allow you to play second fiddle anymore?

A: I actually started thinkingg about retiringg a year and a half ago. I w was thinking about what I wanted to do wi ith my squash and when I took more time t to figure that out, I knew that deep down insi ide I could only give my best, mentally and physically, for two more years. I wanted to gi ive all I got, train my hardest and be ready me entally and be fresh for every single tourname ent. When I spoke to my coach Liz Irving, she sa aid that she also had the experience of know wing when to go at exactly the right time. Th hat last year and a half, I just knew what I wa anted to do and that the time has come.

Q: In the last two years s your ranking has dropped to world No. 21. Were you just playing purely for fun or are you disappointed about it since yo ou are no longer at the top?

A: I think my rankings didn’td reflect what I was willing to go for. I appproach every tournament I went to with a diifferent perspective. I knew I was going in to hhave a good go at my opponents, so just the ressults don’t show my true ability. But at the samme time there were different priorities I had to go through – my own progress and my undderstanding of what I’m here to do. I was gettinng a little bit deeper into analysing what to exxpect in the last year and a half. I acccepted thhat I had to move on but it was difficult at firsst. But now, come to think of it, I really came fullf circle and found that I am so proud of my achievements and I now go out on court to plaay at my own pace.

Q: What are your best memories?m

A: I have so many memor ries because it’s been almost 20 years playing g for Malaysia and competing against the ver ry best at the highest level. The real best mo oment was when I became world No.1 for n nine years and winning eight world titles. Bu ut at the same time, the lows are the ones that t really matter most, especially when I was no ot No. 1 and I didn’t know how to deal with it. . I struggled through that phase but the fact tha at I can truly appreciate all those great mem mories, those wins, those nine years at world d No. 1 and when I really understand that wh hen you’re not there (No. 1) that’s when I know w how proud I am to achieve all that I have ach hieved.

Q: Which title would youy say was your most memorable be it juunior or professional career?

A: My most memorable e was winning the world title in 2005, that was my first ever world title and straight affter that I was world No. 1 for the very first timme – that was my dream-come-trrue moment. When I won myy first world junior title at 15, I know I can be world champion too, and it happened when I was 22, so I think that first world title is the most memorable. My last world title was the matchh of my career, it will be thhe one I will always remembber. I will forever remember coming back from four matchh balls to win my eighth world titlee.

Q: Do you have any regr rets?

A: No regrets, I have don ne all that I have done whether good or bad, so I don’t think there is anything that I will ever change to get to where I am right now.

Q: In the Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) calendar there is a Malaysiany Openp in September.p It’s already y after your plan to retire, would you consider coming back just for one more?

A: Well I have made it very clear with myself that I have this six months left and I’m actually content to give this last bit, I don’t want to do anything halfway.

So if I want to play in Malaysia, I will have to be training through my time off after announcing my retirement and I

on’t want to just play without being fully prepared.

Q: So you have said you want to give back to the c o m m u n i t y, what are your plans?

A: I actually have three plans,

I want to fully commit to my foundation (Nicol David Foundation) to empower girls to reach their full potential by using sports to give them the essential tools to move forward. I will also inspire people through motivational talks and opinion writeups and to have a series of talks related to nurturing beliefs and share my story.

The next thing I’d like to give back is to work closely with the PSA, the women’s tour and to bring the sport to the next level as well. That is what I really want to give back to Malaysian sports.

Q: You have been pushing very hard for squash in the Olympics, what is the progress and how have you been involved in this movement?

A: Well we just launched this campaign where the PSA and the World Squash Federation have come together to push for the inclusion of squash in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. So we are just in the midst of working towards that. I am not fully involved because there are also other top players from France like Camille Serme. who are repre-senting the campaign. it is a global campaign. so all associations and squash fans are gunning for this campaign as one.

Q: Do you have any plans to come back and coach for the national team in the future maybey after yyou have done all yyour other

plans?

A: I w ith the plans that I have mentioned. I think on the coaching side, I’ll happy hare my assistance in some ways – more on motivating and consulting for the coaches. On being a full-time coach, that would give me little time for the rest of things I plan to do, but I’m fully capable of making sure I can use myy experiencep to motivate the national players.

Q: What do you think of the Malays ian junior players and the current crop of players coming through the ranks?

A: I feel that we have very strong juniior players who are doing so well in the British Juniors. I don’t think we have had sos many fi sts and titles coming through and the Juniors is like the pinnacle of the june around the world. laysia is really setting the bbar high and I’m pretty sure they willl be the next generation to take forth and progress for the future.

Q: Do you hope that someoone will be able to come to your levvel and achieve what you have accompplished?

: I always feel like what I’ve doone is to inspire people to do somethhing for themselves so they can reach theirt full potential. I believe they are capable of doing whatever they want, maybe more, you never know.

Q: A personal questioon and be se all your faans will to know, are youy still and do yoou ever of getting marriedm d settling doown?

At the moment I'm just enjoying life, squash is my first love obviously. I'm just happy to be training right now in Colombia and I just want to enjoy these moments of my squash and give back in many possible