KUALA LUMPUR: Sanjay Singh Chal has emerged the hero for Malaysia after delivering the winning point in a dramatic 2-1 win over Hong Kong in the World University Squash Championships (WUSC) mixed team event final today.
Hong Kong took the opening point through Yip Tsz Fung who notched a straightforward 11-6, 11-8, 11-9 win over Ivan Yuen in the first men's match at the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil.
Low Wee Wern, however, pulled Malaysia level by beating Tong Tsz Wing 11-5, 11-4, 11-5 in the women's match leaving Sanjay and Wong Chi Him to battle it out in the decider.
Sanjay started well and won the first game but struggled badly in the second and third. He, however, returned to court a different man in the fourth and continued his momentum until the end, taking the match 11-8, 4-11, 1-11, 11-9, 11-7 to give Malaysia victory.
Sanjay, who has struggled with knee injuries over the past two seasons, said it was a meaningful victory.
"I just became sluggish in the second and third, I only won five points from the two games which was rather embarrassing actually," said the 22-year-old.
"Coach Ong Beng Hee came to me at the end of the third and asked me what I was doing.
"He told me to go out there on court and prove that I deserved to represent Malaysia on the court. From there I changed, I upped the pace and took the ball early.
"The crowd also helped me with their support. It has been a tough past year and I am very happy to be able to play at this level again and deliver the winning point for us."
The national team had defeated South Africa 2-0 in the semi-finals yesterday while Hong Kong had downed Japan by the same scoreline. South Africa and Japan took joint bronze as the is no third place playoff in WUSC.
Malaysia ended the tournament with two gold, one silver and one bronze, a positive improvement over the solitary bronze (team event) won in Chennai two years ago.
Wee Wern had won the women's individual event title, after having beaten teammate Nazihah Hanis Abd Razak in the semi-finals, while Ivan finished runner up in the men's competition.
The next edition of WUSC will be held in London in 2018.