PETALING JAYA: Former national squash player Low Wee Wern may have been away from her hometown in Penang during Chinese New Year, but her players in the Philippines made sure she felt right at home.
Wee Wern, who will mark two years as head coach of the Philippines national team next month, was touched when her players surprised her with a makeshift lion dance using their jerseys at the National Squash Centre in Manila. It is gestures like these that have strengthened her resolve to make her mark abroad.
“It’s good fun. It was a public holiday here in the Philippines, and none of my players are Chinese, but we still managed a small celebration at the courts,” said Wee Wern.
“We had some food and the whole team were there. It was nice to have a small do.”
The former world No. 5 said her coaching journey in the Philippines, which was her first assignment after retiring from professional squash at the age of 33 two years ago, has been an enriching experience.
It has been no small task, as Wee Wern has had to oversee the entire programme, from grassroots development to the elite level.
“To come in straight as the head coach was something big for me, but it’s been great so far,” said Wee Wern.
“We’re doing good things here, and it’s been a valuable learning experience as well, dealing with different sets of players, designing programmes and building everything from the ground up.”
However, the role also comes with unique challenges, particularly the lack of facilities. The entire Philippines has only two singles courts and one doubles court.
For Wee Wern, who was a product of the 12-court Penang Squash Centre in Bukit Dumbar, the contrast is stark.
“That’s it – two singles and one doubles court! One of the biggest challenges is facilities and infrastructure,” she said.
“The sport isn’t big here, so everything has been running on just two courts.
“I trained in Penang, so coming here with just two singles courts is definitely a challenge.”
Despite the challenges, the Philippines did well to finish second overall behind Malaysia at the Thailand SEA Games in December, taking home two silver and two bronze medals.
But the presence of Wee Wern has made a difference as the Philippines will have their own glass court.
“It’s good news for the sport’s development in the Philippines, with them getting approval to get a glass court as they will be hosting the South-East Asian Junior Championships in June,” she said.
But while development at the grassroots is key for the sports sustainability in the country, Wee Wern said prioritising high-performance was equally important.
“We want to give young players a safe place to train, and that brings a different kind of fulfilment for me,” she said.
“But high-performance still matters because you need to show the kids there’s a future here.
“Kids won’t want to train every day and tough it out without seeing someone who has succeeded.
“You need results, and that’s where the senior team come in,” she said.
With squash set to make its debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Wee Wern said it has sparked more interest in the sport, and it was a long time coming.
“Everyone will be chasing the dream of being an Olympian. But it’ll be tough. It’s a 16-player draw – spots are limited.
“That’s one of the reasons why we’re trying to host more events here so we can get more awareness for squash here in the Philippines,” she added.
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