Reigning World Champion Nicol David takes a selfie with her young fans after touching down at the Penang International Airport on Wednesday.- Chin Cheng Yeang/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: Eight-time world champion Nicol David will be putting her feet up for the next two weeks after going through a remarkable 2014 season.
The 31-year-old, who arrived home to a rousing welcome at the Penang International Airport on Wednesday, picked up a record eighth world title in Egypt last Saturday.
A small welcoming party, which included her parents Desmond and Ann Marie and players from the Squash Academy of Penang, greeted her arrival with banners and placards. Nicol joined the group for photos and sang Christmas songs.
“All I want to do in the next two weeks is eat, eat and eat,” quipped Nicol.
“I have done enough to earn this break, and I want to spend a lot of time with my family. It is always great to be back home in Penang, and this time I am also excited in waiting for the birth of my sister’s (Cheryl David) first baby,” said Nicol.
Besides winning the Women’s World Championship, Nicol’s other major accolades this year included victories in the Tournament of Champions and British Open, the Commonwealth Games singles gold, the Asian Games singles and team golds, and helping Malaysia finish second at the Women’s World Team Championship for the first time.
Nicol said she was driven by the loss at the 2013 Women’s World Championship in Penang in March this year. The world No. 1 lost to Egyptian teenager Nour El Sherbini in the semi-finals.
“I don’t take defeats lightly, and the loss in Penang spurred me to train harder. I did a review with (coach) Liz (Irving) and we worked on the small details. I am in the best shape of my career right now, and I managed to wrest back the world title in Egypt,” said Nicol.
Nicol, who has been the world No. 1 since August 2006, described her success in Cairo as the most memorable among her eight world titles.
She was forced to save five match points during the final against home favourite and world No. 3 Raneem El Welily after being 5-10 down in the fourth set. The Malaysian eventually prevailed 5-11, 11-8, 7-11, 14-12, 11-5 in 66 minutes.
“When I look at the recordings of the final, I still can’t believe that I managed to pull through. It was dramatic and everything worked for me during the crucial stages. I wanted to win that title so much and didn’t allow the chance to slip away.”
After her Christmas break, it will be back to the grind for Nicol. And she will be hoping to start 2015 with a bang by defending her Tournament of Champions title in New York from Jan 19-23.
“It is back to work for me next month. I am looking forward to playing the Tournament of Champions because the organisers are offering equal prize money for the men’s and women’s competitions for the first time.
“I think eight (world titles) is already more than enough, but I have no plans to slow down. I will carry on playing as long as my body is willing and my desire for success remains,” said Nicol.
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