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04 Oct:
Chui Downs David in Final
Men's final:
[1] Ong Beng Hee (Mas) bt [2] Mansoor Zaman (Pak) 9-0, 9-7, 9-0
Women's final:
[2] Rebecca Chiu (Hkg) bt [1] Nicol David (Mas) 9-7, 9-5, 9-7
In the biggest upset in Asian squash this
decade, Malaysia's top seed and defending champion Nicol David was
beaten in straight games in the women's final.
Rebecca Chiu, the world No27 from Hong Kong, claimed the gold medal
following her dramatic triumph over the golden girl of Asian
squash - the first significant loss ever
suffered by David in Asian events since winning the Asian Junior
Championships' title twice, the senior title three times and the Asian
Games gold medal in 1998.
David, the 19-year-old world No19 from Penang who put her name in the
world squash record books last year when she became the first player to
claim the world junior title for a second time, was competing in Busan
for the first time since claiming a silver medal in the Mixed Doubles in
the Commonwealth Games in England in August.
Chiu's win, reversing the result of the 1998 Asian Games final, was her
first over David in four meetings this year, and revenge for two further
losses in Asian Championships' finals.
Consolation for Malaysia - seeded to win both gold medals in the Games
for the first time - came in the men's final when favourite Ong Beng Hee
defeated Pakistan's second seed Mansoor Zaman to claim his first Games
gold medal.
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03 Oct:
ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS REPEAT
The finals of the Asian Games in Korea
will be repeats of this May's Asian Championship climaxes, with Ong
Beng Hee and Nicol David looking for a repeat Malaysian
double, but dreams og all-Malaysian finals evaporated ...
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02 Oct:
MALAYSIANS STILL ON COURSE
Top seeds Ong Beng Hee and Nicol David are on course to provide
Malaysia with double squash gold in the 14th Asian Games after straight
games victories in today's quarter-finals.
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We can take both golds and silvers
Malaysian coach Raymond Arnold believes his team
are sure to claim men's and women's gold, and is hopeful for two silvers
as well.
“The players are focused and dead serious, especially Ong (Beng
Hee), Azlan (Iskandar) and Sharon (Wee) as they want to do well in the
Games,” Arnold told the New Straits Times
at the Games Village yesterday.
“With this kind of attitude, we have every possibility of making the
squash events an all-Malaysian final.
Sharon, after her Japan Open win, is very focused and raring to
go. She is highly motivated and looks capable of going all the way,”
added Arnold.
“As for Azlan, he is also very serious about doing well in the Games. He
has put the unpleasant episode of the trials, and is good for at least
the semi-finals.”
(The Malaysian SRA ordered a play-off series between
Azlan and Kenneth Low for the second place behind Ong Beng Hee, a
decision which Azlan was unhappy with. Low withdrew after losing the
first march.)
Azlan is likely to play Pakistan’s Mansoor Zaman while Sharon is
expected to meet Hong Kong’s Rebecca Chiu in the semi-finals.
“In the Asian Championships, Azlan stretched Mansoor to five games while
Sharon took Rebecca also to five games." said Arnold.
"As such, anything is possible.”
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"I'm just so happy that I can't describe the feeling. To win gold is
something I have dreamed of for a long time."
Rebecca Chiu
“I lost to a better player
today. I allowed her to take control and she seized the opportunity.”
Nicol David
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Ong Beng Hee
"I have won the Asian championships
twice and now want to win the Asian Games title as well. I want to stay
as the one number player in Asia. However, I cannot take it easy."
Ong Beng Hee
“Squash is about stepping stones
which Beng Hee received last year but life is very tough as a
professional. Ong came to a level where there were so many good players
and his results were not good this year. But I am glad to see him moving
on again and it happened in the Hong Kong Open. He is a good bet for the
Asian Games."
Neil Harvey
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