Malaysia Charity Challenge


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21-Aug-04:
SQUASHING CHILD
ABUSE IN MALAYSIA

Alex Wan reports from Kuala Lumpur

On a typical Saturday morning, the National Squash Centre would be rather quiet and unexciting. However, this time round, top PSA and WISPA professionals turned Good Samaritans to raise money for a local charity. The event was planned on a small scale but timing and fate made this a mega event featuring players the Malaysian public had only heard of before prior to this.

Lt.Kol. Wong Ah Jit, executive director of Squash Rackets Association adds, “We are lucky to even have our national players here together all at once, let alone the foreigners”, commenting on the event.

Thierry Lincou, Gregory Gaultier, Ong Beng Hee, Azlan Iskandar, Wael El Hindi, Bradley Ball, Nicol David and Sharon Wee were all “sold” to members of the public. Each player had an hour on the all-glass centre court and an hour on the side walls. For a minimal donation, anyone can choose who they’d like to play. Games on the centre courts would cost more, and even then, the slots were all fully taken 3 days before the event.

Gaultier proved to be the most expensive, raking in a cool MYR 2,000 (approx GBP 300) for a 9-point game. Gregory, who only arrived with Thierry the afternoon before, showed no signs of jet lag as he still managed to throw in a few fancy trick shots in this rather expensive game. Sporting matching racket and shoes, the Frenchman amazed the crowd with his antics (and skills of course!).

Nicol David and Ong Beng Hee, top players in the country, turn out to be the biggest hits, having to play most number of games. Beng Hee had the most interesting opponents, ranging from a local supermodel Soraya Dean, whom he (naturally and purposely!) kept on court for the longest period of time, to a one-armed man, who showed true grit, playing his heart out against the World number 24.

Nicol meanwhile, had mostly men challenge her. Karina Fernandez, an IT professional who has never been into a squash court prior to this, took Nicol on after her colleagues had talked her into doing this. She proclaimed before the game “I’ll embarrass myself for the kids” and I am sure it was well worth her effort.

It was certainly a delight to see people from all walks of life, some who has never played any squash before this, doing a good cause and taking the professionals to court. There were also juniors who took on their much elder and stronger compatriots in the name of charity. Some had even travelled more than 5 hours for the opportunity to play such big names.

Thierry, Gregory, Beng Hee, Azlan, Wael and Bradley might not have found the best warm up to the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Squash Open, but they certainly did something the squash community proud to help the children. They will however, be travelling there beaming with confidence as none of them dropped a single game throughout the entire day!
 

Grégory earns his MRY 2,000


HAPPY CUSTOMERS: Karina's first ever game of squash !!


Protect and Save The Children


Soraya tests Bengy


Aaron challenges El Hindi


Lionel's squash debut

Next up in Asia:
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open
30-Aug to 05-Sep