RETIRED Malaysian squash queen Nicol David believes more can be done to unearth sporting talent.
The eight-time world champion said this while appearing as a guest on yesterday's National Sports Council (NSC) webinar "Women in Sports" with diving star Pandelela Rinong and bowling legend Shalin Zulkifli.
The 37-year-old, who was World No 1 for a record 108 months, feels there is a lot of untapped talent in schools and more can be done to encourage girls in sports.
"In terms of developing talent, we have to start from the schools," said Nicol in the web conference from her current base in Colombia.
"I feel there is a lot of hidden talent in schools and we have to grab hold of that early.
"Talent identification at schools should be done properly and it should not be limited to just physical education classes."
Nicol said while she is honoured to be seen as a benchmark for aspiring athletes, a lot of her achievements would not be achieved without NSC's full support.
"We have to give them the credit because without that support, as a professional squash player, it is a very challenging route," said Nicol.
"For squash, I don't think there is any other country that supports their athletes as much as Malaysia, and I am really thankful to all the support from NSC and from the sponsors.
"I certainly think that this NSC initiative, 'Women in Sports' is a big step to continue the growth of women in sports.
"It is an area that needs to continue developing and to get more women and girls involved, be it from sports, the administration side, consultation or even as coaches," added Nicol.
The three iconic sportswomen also shared their thoughts on the New Year following the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I definitely hope to come back to Malaysia when the travel restrictions are eased, so that I can see my family again," said Nicol.
"I also hope to continue the progress on my foundation and I'm definitely excited for the New Year."
Shalin, 42, said: "Staying injury-free and improving my fitness as well as winning my first professional bowling title would be my goal.
"But I also hope we can all adapt to the new normal and be grateful for what we have as we work harder to achieve greater heights next year."
Pandelela, who is headed for the Tokyo Olympics next year, said: "All the years of training will always take a toll on my body.
"I hope to be injury-free and be productive again like previous years.
"In light of the pandemic, I hope the world gets better, so that we'll be able to fly overseas again and live normally."