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Nicol David Announces Retirement After 20 Years – Here Are Her Top 5 Achievements

Iylia Adreena
19/02/2019
03:51 MYT
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Nicol David Announces Retirement After 20 Years – Here Are Her Top 5 Achievements
Just ask any Malaysian who Nicol Ann David is, and they’ll proudly answer that she’s our squash queen and the reigning number one female squash player in the world.
She has had a solid career for the past two decades, squashing opponents left and right to win world championship titles after world championship titles, becoming an idol not only to young Malaysians but also aspiring squash players all over the world along the way.
Nicol leading the Malaysian contingent during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Asian Games. The Penangite made a significant impact on our sports industry and helped put Malaysia on the map in the world of squash.
However, as people say, all good things must end. On 19 February, David announced her retirement effective June 2019, which shocked many Malaysians as her involvement in sports will be deeply missed. So, to commemorate her retirement, we take a look back at the her best five achievements throughout her illustrious career.

#1 Eight-Time World Champion

Nicol winning her eighth world title. Winning the coveted World Champion title isn’t an easy task, but Nicol makes it look like a walk in the park after winning it eight times! The 35-year-old won her first title in 2005 and her last one in 2014. She also holds the record of the most championship titles for a female squash player.

#2 G.O.A.T

She's the first ever Malaysian G.O.A.T! Getting the ‘Greatest of All Time’ recognition is a big thing because you need to be someone not only with a great track record but truly legendary to earn it. And Nicol proved her prowess on court after being voted as the G.O.A.T by squash fans around the world in 2018.

#3 Longest Reigning No.1 Player in The World

"All I do is win, win, win..." If you ask Nicol what’s her favourite number, she’d probably answer one because she wouldn’t know any other number than that. That's because she held on to the number one spot for over nine years! The World Champion currently holds the record for the longest consecutive number one streak (109 months) and the most months at the top (112 months).

#4 Youngest Person Ever To Be Awarded A Datukship

What were you doing at 25? At the tender age of 25, Nicol was conferred the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri award (DSPN) which carries the title Datuk by the Penang government in 2008. She became the youngest person ever to receive the award from the state.

#5 56-Match Winning Streak

Nicol to her opponents: "Thank you, next." Winning any competition requires a lot of hard work and dedication, and Nicol’s level of dedication and passion to her sport led her to a staggering 56-match winning streak! Wow, wonder how it feels like to be unbeaten that many times. She is truly the walking definition of an icon, and she definitely deserves to be called the G.O.A.T.
Thank you, Nicol David, for your invaluable contributions to the nation, and for becoming one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen. Malaysian sports will never be the same without you and you will surely be missed dearly on the court.
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