Eight-time squash world champion Datuk Nicol David will be part and parcel of the Malaysian contingent to the 30th edition of the SEA Games – not as a player but in a different capacity – as a mentor.
The Penangite who retired from the sport in June will be in the Philippines from Dec 6-10 and is excited with her new role in the biennial games. Nicol competed in the 29th SEA Games that were held in Kuala Lumpur in 2017.
The former squash queen was named as a mentor by Youth and Sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman on Thursday as he is confident Nicol can inspire Malaysian athletes in the Philippines.
“Nicol has a wealth of knowledge and has played at the highest level internationally for 21-years and can fire up and inspire the Malaysian athletes in the SEA Games,” said the minister.
An excited Nicol, however, was quick to reveal that she knows her “boundaries” in her new role and will not overstep when she talks with the athletes in her bid to inspire them to win medals. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH