SPORT creates hope, even in the darkest of times.
That's the belief of women's national No 1 squash player Low Wee Wern who shared her thoughts during the International Women's Day celebration on Monday.
She has been though it all, the highs and lows of being an athlete: from a high of being World No 5 to struggling with a career-threatening anterior cruciate ligament injury which sidelined her for nearly two years.
Wee Wern and the other national players also find their playing careers affected by Covid-19 which put a stop to their appearances in international competitions.
However, Wee Wern, currently ranked World No 24, is still championing positivity, and she believes sport will empower women in life.
"Sport certainly has a huge potential to empower women. In many countries, it has been recognised as a force to amplify women's voices, break down gender stereotypes and foster self esteem," said the 30-year-old Penangite.
"Women in sport debunk the misperception that we are weak or incapable. We can demonstrate not only physical strength, but also strategic thinking and leadership skill.
"Contrary to popular belief, it's not always about trophies and medals as sport teaches us life skill such as hard work, dedication, teamwork, discipline and courage.
"One of the many reasons why I thoroughly enjoy sports is the positive and encouraging environment that it offers.
"I can safely say that I have experienced it first hand how empowering and important it is to be involved in sport as it has taught me many valuable lessons nad helped shape me into who I am today," she said.
Things are starting to look up for Wee Wern as the squash scene is set to come back to life with the SRAM PSA 1 event on April 9-12.
"It's good to be finally allowed to be back in training and I'm definitely looking forward to competitions again.
"Tentatively, the plan is the PSA event in KL, followed by the Manchester Open (April 19-25), the El Gouna International in Egypt in May and the British Open in June.
"Being able to go out there and compete is the first step and we'll see how it goes from there."
However, Wee Wern did not receive permission in time from the authorities to travel for the Black Ball Open in Egypt on March 12-25.
Men's national No 1 Ng Eain Yow, who is based in Bristol and women's national No 2 S. Sivasangari, who is based in the United States, will however compete in the Black Ball meet.