Let’s face it. Sharon Wee is no stranger to the local sports scene, having represented Malaysia in Squash competitions all over the world. She’s regarded as one of the finest sporting talent to have emerged from the country, making fans proud on various occasions throughout her career. She turned pro in 1997, and went on to have an illustrious career, some would even say industrious, that spanned for exactly 15 years, before retiring in 2012. Since then, Sharon has been an active sports presenter and pundit with Astro Arena in Malaysia though she is currently in Canada, accompanying the Women’s national team, who are competing in the World Team Championship. FourthOfficial.com caught up with her for a quick chat on all matters related to Malaysian squash.
FO: You are regarded as one of the best squash players Malaysia has ever seen. What was it like representing the country during your playing days?
SW: That’s very nice of you. I’ll take that as an acknowledgement and compliment. I played for Malaysia for almost 20 years, since I was 13 years-old. It was a great honour to represent Malaysia, and I was always filled with pride. Every time I compete, it was never entirely for myself. It was also for my teammates, coaches, family, sponsors and most importantly my country, Malaysia.
FO: What would you regard as the highlight of your illustrious squash career?
SW: Being the national woman No.1 player, definitely. When I started playing, I had a goal of wanting to be the best woman player in Malaysia. It was quite a journey, to get to where I wanted to be. Indeed, all those hard work, blood, sweat and tears was so worth it.
FO: Who is the toughest opponent you’ve played against?
SW: I would like to say 2 individuals. The 1st one is my good friend Nicol David, the current World No.1. We grew up together. I am 6 years her senior and I am glad to say that I have beaten Nicol before! But every single year from my junior days, it got tougher and tougher to beat this special lady.
The 2nd one is myself. Somehow, when I’m all ready to play, this other personality in me would come out with all negative thoughts. So the positive Sharon had to always fight hard with the devil within herself.
FO: Squash has a reputation of being an elite sport in Malaysia. What are your thoughts on the existing level of popularity for squash in Malaysia?
SW: It is just people’s perception on squash. In my opinion, every Malaysian, irrespective of their background, has the opportunity to play squash. It is very popular, ever since the Malaysian players made a great impact in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia. It got better with great players like Ong Beng Hee, Azlan Iskandar, Nicol David, myself and many more.
FO: Nicol David needs no introduction when it comes to Malaysian icons. Her success has always assisted the sports in terms of lobbying for more support, so where do you see Malaysian squash going towards, after her retirement at some point?
SW: It is great to have Nicol David representing us. She is a living legend. An idol to the world. But in my personal opinion, squash in Malaysia will move on with or without Nicol David. We have great young players. We must move on.
FO: We have a pretty decent youth pool when it comes to squash, with several names from the Bukit Jalil Sports School receiving plenty of media attention in recent times. Which particular young talent has impressed you the most?
SW: There are many junior players who have successfully won international tournaments like Ng Eain Yow, Aifa Azman and S. Sivasangari. But I would say that Eain Yow is the most promising one right now. He has won the British Junior Open twice; once in the U-13 category and then the U-15 category. He will also be competing in the U-17 category this January. He wants to be a professional player one day. We should watch out for this boy. He will do really well.
FO: The Women’s squad has made it to the semi finals of the World Team Championship. Your thoughts on their journey so far? (Additional Note: Malaysia defeated Egypt in the semis and are now through to the final!)
SW: This is the best team ever. We have great chance to beat Egypt and we’re playing them in 30 minutes time. We want to be the World Team Champion! Dream big!
FO: Do you think the National Sports Council is doing enough to elevate the quality of squash and the production of young players within the country. If no, what do you thing is lacking from the system?
SW: NSC have done really well and have supported squash a lot. We are grateful. Being one of the few sports which always produces good results for Malaysia, I hope that squash will be given more priority as far as the budget is concerned. So that more young talented players can be given the opportunity to be based overseas and get the exposure they need. Somehow, to be a better player, one needs to need to step out from their comfort zone.
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