Our babe's No 1 and did they care?

It's the Merdeka month and Nicol Ann David's started giving. She just presented another gift to Malaysia, winning her second tournament in two weeks. The amazing 24-year-old – who's a Merdeka month babe herself – beat Australian Rachael Grinhmam in the final of the Penang Open yesterday.

Just last week, she stretched limb and sinew to win the CIMB Malaysian Open, a feat which placed her again as the No 1 ranked women's squash player in the world. That needs repeating: In the world.

That's a serious feat especially since squash isn't just another an obscure sport. The Women's Squash International Players Association (WISPA) estimates that 20 million people play the game all over the world and a large majority of professional players predictably come from developed countries.

I've always maintained that it takes more determination for a person from a developing country to be world ranked, and exponentially harder to be world No 1. The hurdles are higher, the mental jacket tighter, and one trudges through cultural mud that places academic pursuits and a good job above all else. Take any sport – how many world champions are there from the Third World?

For this, Nicol is special. Nicol is what you get when iron is forged with grace and heart. A prime example of the best this nation can offer. Thank you, Nicol.


And in return, here's how much the national media organ Bernama enjoyed it – a mere nine paragraphs. ( http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news_sports.php?id=212442 )

If Information Minister Zam would have been less distracted playing media sheriff...
If Sports Minister Azalina would have been less adamant on pursuing that TARCC high performance sports centre in London...
If Najib, as chairman for the Cabinet Committee on Sports, would have an inspiration...

...if they had talked, if their key people had given feedback, if they had all cared, it wouldn't have been difficult to show the game live on RTM. It would have only been obvious, simply the natural thing to do.

This has been our failing – to grasp the immediacy of genuine hard-earned national pride and share it with the entire country. So much could have been gained from it.

It's tragic when we do not get to watch our sportspeople perform even if they're the best in the world and they're playing in our home soil for the top prize. Like, hello, what's the big-time expenditure there?

Rather there's a cruel biasness towards certain favoured sports. RTM was showing a Malaysia Cup game last night, the same day Nicol won her crown. Hell, I like football; but only good football. Badminton doesn't even get that exposure nor hockey nor bowling. Worse still if you're a world champion rally driver. Ask Karamjit Singh.

This much is clear – Nicol Ann David, a Malaysian, worked very very hard to get where she is today, a champion on top of the world. SkySports viewers from around the world can catch her game, it seems. Too bad not us fellow Malaysians.

(Photo: 2005 Carlisle Stockton)