PROMISING squash player Whitney Isabelle Anak Wilson, who used to train and represent Penang for the past six years, will don the Sarawak colours in the upcoming 2024 Sukma (or the 21st Malaysia Games) hosted by Sarawak from Aug 17 to 24.
According to Datuk Linda Geh, the president of the Squash Rackets Association of Penang (SRAP), her association has released Isabelle to represent Sarawak.
Both Isabelle’s parents are Sarawakians, but due to her father’s work, they resided in Kedah before coming to Penang.
Under the guidance of dedicated Penang coaches Aaron Soyza and Khoo Teng Hin, Isabelle started to blossom and earned a place in the Bukit Jalil Sports School.
In the last Sukma held in Kuala Lumpur in 2022, Isabelle represented Penang.
Last month, Isabelle bagged the Girls Under-19 title in the 20th PBA Penang (Malaysia) Junior Open when she beat fellow Bukit Jalil Sports School teammate Anrie Goh in an all-SRAM (Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia) final.
“For the player’s career and welfare, we have released Isabelle to play for Sarawak,” Geh told Buletin Mutiara at the Nicol David International Squash Centre recently.
As the Sukma host this year, Sarawak has been leaving no stone unturned in its preparation to secure as many medals as possible. It is spending more than RM200 million to upgrade 24 sports facilities and construct three new ones.
This Sukma, set to be the largest ever with 488 events across 37 sports, will be held in various parts of Sarawak, including Kuching, Samarahan, Serian, Sri Aman, Betong, Sibu, Mukah, Bintulu and Miri.
Without Isabelle, Penang is banking on the men’s players for a medal to redeem itself after its worst-ever performance in the last Sukma, where it failed to win a single medal for the first time.
Penang was once a squash powerhouse, winning six out of seven gold medals at stake when it hosted Sukma for the first time 24 years ago in 2000.
While acknowledging its dismal performance in 2022 Sukma, Geh said the state’s preparation then was also disrupted by the postponements of the Games. Originally scheduled to be held by Johor in 2020, the Games were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
For this coming Sukma, coaches Aaron and Teng Hin have intensified the training sessions since June.
“Our men’s team has been bolstered by the return of three US-based students for their semester break. We hope to get a medal from the men,” Teng Hin said.
“Our medal prospect may come from the men’s doubles, even though we currently don’t have a doubles court for training at our squash centre,” Aaron said with a smile.
The three US-based students are Ishant Shah, Dhirren Rajarathinam and Tho Wei Yan. They form the men’s team together with Nickhileswar Moganasundharam, Ivan Chang Jia Yu and Kreethi Pillay Muniswaran.
Nickhileswar and Ivan are currently participating in the World Junior Championships at the Houston Squash Club in Texas.
Ishant, who missed the 2022 Sukma because of his studies in the US, is available to feature for Penang this year, while Dhirren, now 21, intends to go out with a bang since he will be overaged for the 2026 Sukma.
The Penang women’s players are mostly first-timers in Sukma, except for Kuriraa Premchand, who played in the 2022 Sukma.
The Penang Sukma squash team:
Officials: Team manager: Angie Ooi Zhi Ling; Coaches: Aaron Soyza, Khoo Teng Hin.
Men:
Ishant Shah, Dhirren Rajarathinam, Nickhileswar Moganasundharam, Tho Wei Yan, Ivan Chang Jia Yu, Kreethi Pillay Muniswaran.
Women:
Yek Rui Jean, Kuriraa Premchand, Natasha Lim Jae Yee, Reshika Rajarathinam, Limeetha Sai.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Muhamad Amir Irsyad Omar