KUALA LUMPUR: Reminiscing the good old days when they were on top of the world, badminton great Lee Chong Wei wished national squash queen, Nicol David, a happy retirement.
On Tuesday (Feb 19), Nicol who will turn 36 in August, announced she will retire at the end of the 2018-2019 season in June, bringing down the curtain on an illustrious 20-year career.
Hailed as the greatest of all time (GOAT) by her peers, the Penangite is the most successful woman squash player, having spent nine years as the World No 1 between 2006-2015.
Chong Wei, who is just a year older, said he and Nicol go a long way back, and that both of them used to encourage each other especially at multi sport events like the Asian and Commonwealth Games.
In fact, the country’s two most decorated athletes were also named Sportsman and Sportswoman of the year in 2005 and 2008.”Not only are we ‘Penang Kia’ (Penangite in Hokkien), but someone like Nicol has given so much to bring honour and pride to this country.
“She left home to train in Europe and that is a huge sacrifice. Unlike the rest of us, she gave up her family time for Malaysia and for her to achieve what no other athlete can.
“Both of us are only a year apart but what I remember most is we used to encourage each other at multi sport events like the Asian and Commonwealth Games. We'd text each other.
“She holds the record for being world No 1 for nine years, that is incredible! But like every other athlete in this world, the time will come when you must call it a day.
“Nicol believes it's her time to hang up her racquet, so we must respect that. She has her plans and I would like to take this opportunity to wish her a happy retirement,” Chong Wei told NSTP Sport.
Apart from winning the world crown eight times (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014), Nicol is also a five-time British Open champion, five-time Asian Games champion and two-time Commonwealth Games champion.
On whether he felt moved to call time on his career, Chong Wei, who had a challenging year battling nose cancer, said: “Of course, I am giving myself some time because I want to try and qualify for the Olympics (Tokyo) next year.
“Having said that, I do not know how my body will react. I will have to gauge myself during training and in tournaments.
“If my body cannot take it and if the results are not so good, I will retire too.”
Chong Wei, a three-time Olympic Games silver medallist, has not played in a competitive fixture since reaching the semi-finals of the Indonesia Open last July. After seeking treatment in Taiwan for several months, Chong Wei is set to make a comeback at the Malaysia Open in April, where he will be defending his crown after winning it for a record 12th time last year.