Squash Queen Nicol David Brings Glory Home By Winning Gold In The Commonwealth Games
Nicol David has retained her Commonwealth Games singles squash title after beating world champion Laura Massaro in straight games in the women's final on Monday afternoon.
By Sadho Ram — 29 Jul 2014, 01:51 PM — Updated almost 10 years ago
Malaysia's squash queen and world #1 Nicol David successfully defend her title and contribute to Malaysia's second gold medal of the 20th Commonwealth Games on Monday
Malaysia's Nicol David shows off her gold medal on the podium after winning the singles squash title at the Commonwealth Games
Image via scmp.comIt was also Nicol's second gold medal since her participation in the Commonwealth Games. "It is great to win the Commonwealth Games medal once again. And, it is an even greater feeling to contribute Malaysia's second gold medal in this year's Games. To actually win it for the second time is such an amazing feat. "It's such a high being at the Commonwealth Games. It's the pinnacle of any squash multi-sport game to win this gold," said the 30-year-old world champion.
The 30-year-old defending champion outclassed and outplayed England's Laura Massaro in straight sets 12-10, 11-2, 11-5 to give Malaysia its second gold medal in the women's squash competition at the 20th Commonwealth Games
Gold: Nicol David (left) celebrates at match point as she beats Laura Massaro
Image via dailymail.co.ukEngland's Laura Massaro was forced to settle for a silver medal in the women's squash final at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after a dominant display by Malaysian world number one Nicol David.
dailymail.co.ukDavid, who has won seven of the last nine world titles and reigned as world number one for 99 months, took a stroke which put her 5-3 up and it was a lead the Malaysian never looked like relinquishing as she completed a successful defence of her title. Massaro said: 'I think Nicol was better. Obviously she was - she won and I didn't.
"As expected it was a very tense match against Laura. She is a tough contender. The first game was very crucial but although I won it 12-10, I had to push myself in the second and third games. I had to make sure I took control of the game and avoid mistakes," said Nicol.
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Afterwards David hoped her triumph would provide Malaysia with a much-needed lift following the crash of Malaysian Airlines MG17 and the still missing MH370
In this Friday, Oct. 8, 2010 file photo Malaysia's Nicol David celebrates with her national flag after winning the gold medal in the women's singles squash event during the Commonwealth Games at the Siri Fort Sports Complex in New Delhi, India. World squash champion Nicol David of Malaysia successfully defended her women's singles title at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Monday July 28, 2014, with a 12-10, 11-2, 11-5 win over Laura Massaro of England in just 44 minutes.
Image via yimg.comMalaysian squash ace Nicol David said she hoped her gold medal at the Commonwealth Games would help lift the spirits of her compatriots battered by the tragedy of two airliner disasters.
yahoo.com“It is a tough time for Malaysia and our nation. Games like this really bring our spirits up. We are working together for something bigger than ourselves and we hope our contribution can bring a bit of a boost to our country," said David, who is now based in Amsterdam.
A man prays near flowers and toys after attending a silent march of remembrance in Amsterdam, Wednesday, July 23, 2014. The first bodies of passengers and crew killed in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 arrived in the Netherlands from Ukraine Wednesday. Wednesday was an official day of mourning in the Netherlands. Flags on all Dutch government buildings and diplomatic missions around the world were ordered to fly at half mast.
Image via yimg.com"I live in Amsterdam and people were worried I was flying back to Malaysia. It was a little bit daunting when I heard it back and my heart goes out to the families of people were on that flight. It's always tough playing Laura, there's always a fine line when you play her."
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Squash failed in a bid to make the Olympics for the third time in a vote last year, despite presenting itself as a cost-effective, television-friendly sport that can be played at eye-catching locations
David hopes the International Olympic Committee has been taking note of the successful competition in front of raucous crowds at a temporary Glasgow venue. "It's such a specular court, with the crowd cheering on from the beginning," David said. "Hopefully (the IOC) will get a buzz about squash that can hopefully see us through to 2020."
yahoo.comHaving become the first woman to win the Commonwealth single's title twice, the world's top-ranked player now wants a third squash gold at the 2018 Games on Australia's Gold Coast
"If my body still goes strong and I stay healthy, I would love to play another Commonwealth Games," David said.
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