9 Things To Know About Malaysia's Sivasangari Who Won The London Squash Classic
The 25-year-old defeated three of the top-ranked players in the world.
By Celine Low — 02 Apr 2024, 02:25 PM
Yesterday, Malaysia's number one female squash player Sivasangari Subramaniam created history by winning the premiere London Squash Classic
The 25-year-old athlete, who hails from Sungai Petani, Kedah, defeated World No. 2 Hania El Hammamy of Egypt with a score of 11-8 in the final.
Following her stellar performance, the Kedahan climbed to a career-high No. 13 in the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Tour World rankings. She previously held the world ranking of No. 16.
With this historic win under her belt, here are nine things to know about the Malaysian athlete:
1. She started playing squash at the age of eight
Sivasangari got her start playing squash with her older brother in Malaysia.
She began competing in junior tournaments at eight years old and developed a strong relationship with the sport.
Before she found squash, Sivasangari dabbled in taekwondo, badminton, swimming, and many other sports.
Sivasangari competing in the British Junior Open 2014 championship.
Image via @sivasangari_ (Instagram)2. She moved to the US in 2019 after receiving a full scholarship to attend Cornell University, an Ivy League School
She graduated from the university with a Bachelor of Science in Communications with High Honours in May 2023.
3. However, she was initially resistant to the idea of moving to the US
"When I was in high school, my dad asked me if I wanted to go to any Ivy League schools in the US. I actually said no, because I just didn't want to leave home and I had the fear of slacking off in squash and things like that," she said.
According to the Cornell Sun, she eventually changed her mind because of the university's history of success in the sport and the opportunity to train under retired Australian squash legend David Palmer.
4. While studying at Cornell, she became the university's first player to receive the accolade of 'Ivy League Player of the Year'
She is also the first Cornell squash player— man or woman — to claim the Individual National Championship, winning 19 matches in a row, reported the Cornell Sun.
5. It doesn't come as a surprise that she looks up to Malaysian squash queen Datuk Nicol David
"She's the legend of the game. Despite having a wide range of achievements, she's still a very humble person. I think this is an example that everyone should follow," she said.
Sivasangari and Datuk Nicol David at the 2018 Asian Games in Palembang, Indonesia.
Image via Fathil Asri/NSTP6. In June 2022, she was forced to withdraw from the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games due to a serious car accident
Sivasangari sustained fractures on her face and C1 vertebra. The latter injury initially raised concerns that the athlete would never play again.
After undergoing two surgeries, she decided to forgo an operation on her neck, as it could have caused her mobility issues in the long run.
She chose to let the injury heal naturally, wearing cumbersome collars for several months during her recovery.
She discusses the accident and her road to recovery below:7. After the traumatic accident, she bounced back, winning two gold medals for Malaysia at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games
In addition to being the flag bearer for Malaysia at the Games, Sivasangari followed in David's footsteps by winning a gold medal in the individual category. She also won a gold medal in the women's team event.
A 2017 SEA Games gold medallist, she also bagged silver at the 2018 Asian Games after losing to her idol, Nicol David.
8. When asked her hobbies, Sivasangari said sleeping
Obviously, with such rigorous training sessions, which she shares on her Instagram account, the athlete just tries to get as much sleep as possible.
"It's tiring, you know," she said.
Same here. :p
But, she said she also enjoys hanging out with her friends whenever she has free time.
9. For now, Sivasangari said she is currently focusing on her professional career as a squash player
She said the reason for this is because she's been balancing both school and her career since she was a student, and she would like devote her energy on the sport in the meantime.
