Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam stands as one of the most promising young stars in squash and is poised to be a top contender for the Ace Malaysia Squash Cup, set to take place from November 12 to 17.
The 25-year-old Kedah native made waves in the squash community last year with an extraordinary triumph at the London Classic. She stunned spectators by defeating World No.1 Nour El Sherbini in the quarterfinals, World No.4 Nele Coll in the semifinals, and ultimately bested World No.2 Hania El Hammamy in the final.
What made this victory even more remarkable was that in June 2022, Sivasangari was involved in a severe traffic accident near Kuala Lumpur.
Initially, the accident had doctors fearing for her survival, and even after her condition stabilized, there were serious doubts about whether she would ever walk again due to the extent of her head, neck, and spine injuries.
“We were just unlucky. I got hit more than my friend and had some serious injuries,” Sivasangari says of the accident.
“It was really tough, mentally. With the neck brace, I always needed someone to just look out for me and be there. My mum was showering me, I couldn’t do much because I couldn’t move my neck at all. Even in the hospital in the second week, I just couldn’t stay in bed. It was so tough because it’s just not what I do, just hanging out bed.”
Although the injury cost Sivasangari the opportunity to be Malaysia’s flag bearer at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, her recovery defied all expectations.
Following seven months of rehabilitation where she had to relearn how to walk, Sivasangari made her comeback to the squash court representing Cornell University in January 2023. She then returned to the professional circuit on the PSA Squash Tour after a nine-month hiatus, making it to the round of 16 at the Squash On Fire Open in Washington, DC.
Amazingly, later that year, Sivasangari defied the odds to claim two gold medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games. She first led Malaysia to victory in the women’s team event and then, as a 3/4 seed in the singles, defeated top seed Satomi Watanabe of Japan in the semi-final. In a thrilling final, she twice came from behind to beat Hong Kong, China’s 3/4 seed Chan Sin Yuk.
Her success on the professional circuit soon continued, with Sivasangari winning the Hong Kong Football Club Open in November 2023. She then made international headlines with her remarkable victory at London’s Alexandra Palace.
“Hania has been my rival since juniors, I had those match balls in the fourth game but couldn’t convert and in the fifth I tried to stay composed. She was fighting and coming back with every point but I’m just happy with how I managed to win it! I’m very proud of my journey. It’s because of them [Sivasangari’s family and coaches] that I’m winning tournaments and it’s been an unbelievable journey after what happened two years ago.”
Since her triumph in London, Sivasangari has secured another significant title, once again leading Malaysia to victory at the 2024 Asian Team Championships held in Dalian, China, in June.
These achievements have sparked excitement within the Malaysian sports media, with speculation that Sivasangari could be the successor to the legendary Nicol David. David, an eight-time world champion and widely regarded as the greatest female squash player in history, held the World No.1 ranking for an incredible 108 consecutive months.
David’s retirement in 2019 left a significant gap in Malaysian squash. With the historic decision to include squash in the Olympic Games starting at LA28, Sivasangari now has a prime opportunity to step into that role.
Despite producing numerous outstanding athletes, Malaysia has yet to secure an Olympic gold medal. The country’s efforts at Paris 2024 yielded only two bronze medals, underscoring the significance of Sivasangari’s potential to make history.
Could Sivasangari be the one to make history?
Sivasangari Subramaniam’s remarkable comeback from a life-threatening accident to winning major titles has cemented her place as a symbol of resilience and hope for Malaysia. As she continues to excel on the professional circuit, Sivasangari’s inspiring story fuels the belief that she could be the athlete to make history and elevate Malaysian squash to new heights.
All the information and images are provided by Professional Squash Association.
