TALENTED Whitney Isabelle Wilson made Penang proud as she emerged victorious in the Girls Under-19 category of the first leg of the National Junior Squash Circuit 2023.
Held at the Nicol David International Squash Centre in Bukit Gelugor over the weekend, Isabelle showcased her skills and defeated fellow Bukit Jalil Sports School player Doyce Lee from Sabah. The final score stood at 11-2, 11-9, 13-11 in Isabelle’s favour.
Another Penang promising player, Nickhileswar Moganasundharam just fell short, losing the Boys Under-19 Final to Selangor’s Tay Jun Qian at 11-8, 11-7, 12-10.
It was, however, a remarkable achievement for Nickhileswar, who at 15 years old, was playing in a higher category and against an opponent three years his senior.
This was the second time Nickhileswar, a Form Three student of SMK Hamid Khan, had met Jun Qian, having given him a run for his money although he lost 3-1 in the recent World Junior Championship trial.
“I played in the World Junior Championship trial a week before the National Junior Circuit. I was tired, but overall, I am happy with my performance,” said Nickhileswar, better known as Nick.
He took up the game at the age of seven, and attributes his achievements to the unwavering support of his parents, Mogana Sundharam and Shanthi, as well as the inspiration he draws from squash legend Nicol David.
He also acknowledges the guidance from coach Aaron Soyza, motivator Low Wee Wern, and the support of the Penang State Sports Council.
Squash Racket Association of Penang (SRAP) president Datuk Linda Geh said she was proud of the overall performance of the Penang players.
They included Isabelle, Nickhileswar and Tho Wei Yan, who will be representing Malaysia in the World Junior Championship in Melbourne from July 18 to 29.
“SRAP has been working very hard to develop the talents under very dedicated coaches. We have a very good venue here. The boys and girls need more competitions to enhance their skills.
“We are grateful to all our sponsors but we still need support from more bodies to help us groom the talents so that they can emulate the success of players like Datuk Nicol David and Ong Beng Hee,” said Geh, who became the SRAP president in December last year.
The National Junior Circuit 2023 comprises three legs catering to players in the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 age categories.
The second leg is set to take place in Sarawak from July 5-9, followed by the third leg in Selangor from Sept 6-10.
1st leg National Junior Circuit
RESULTS:
Girls Under-15
Final: Girls: Dakshayani Thangaraja (Kuala Lumpur) bt Thivyashini Muthukumar (Kuala Lumur) 3-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-2).
3/4th placings: Vimietha Prakash (Negeri Sembilan) bt Lee Xin Yi (Sarawak) 3-1 (11-7, 11-5, 6-11, 11-4).
Boys Under-15
Final: Erwin Kros Christopher (Selangor) bt Izz Nabil Iman (Perlis) 3-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-4).
3/4th placings: Nittish Manimaran (Selangor) bt Kaveeshan Gnana Easwaran (Kuala Lumpur) 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-8).
Girls Under-17
Final: Puteri Rania Zahirah (BJSS/Kuala Lumpur) bt Nurul Nisa Nasuha (BJSS/Kedah) 3-1 (7-11, 11-0, 11-7, 13-11).
3rd/4th placings: Ooi Wen Min (BJSS/Perlis) bt Goh Jia Xuan (Melaka) 3-1 (7-11, 11-0, 11-7, 13-11).
Boys Under-17
Final: Hashvind Kugan (Kuala Lumpur) bt Keshvan Gunasekaran (Selangor) 3-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-9).
3rd/4th placings: Addin Iqwan (Terengganu) bt Muhammad Raziq Putra (BJSS/Kuala Lumpur) 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-8).
Girls Under-19
Final: Whitney Isabelle Wilson (BJSS/Penang) bt Doyce Lee Ye San (BJSS/Sabah) 3-0 (11-2, 11-9, 13-11).
3rd/4th placings: Goh Zhi Xuan (Melaka) bt Anrie Goh (BJSS/Kedah) 3-1 (6-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-8).
Boys Under-19
Final: Tay Jun Qian (Selangor) bt Nickhileswar Moganasundharam (Penang) 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 12-10).
3rd/4th placings: Pravin Jeeva (Kuala Lumpur) bt Wong Lee Hong (BJSS/Sarawak) 3-1 (4-11, 11-2, 11-6, 11-4).
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix courtesy of SRAP