KUALA LUMPUR – National squash prodigy M. Nickhileswar is aiming for another successful year in 2023 and has set his sights on winning the British Junior Open (BJO) and Asian Junior Championships titles a second time.
The 14-year-old Penangite had previously won the BJO Under-11 title in 2019 and the Under-15 crown in the Asian meet in Pattaya, Thailand this year.
“Next year will be an important year for me as I will be competing in many tournaments, with BJO and Asian Juniors being the most important and prestigious events for junior players. Performing well in these two tournaments is crucial for my career.
“The points accumulated from these age-group tournaments will play a part in helping me secure a higher PSA (Professional Squash Association) ranking when I turn pro later,” Nickhileswar told Bernama.
Nickhileswar, who began playing squash when he was seven, also hopes to win several local age-group tournaments before the BJO, including the KL Open Under-15 title in December.
Nickhileswar, who idolises former world champion Datuk Nicol David and former world number five woman player Low Wee Wern, hopes to be ranked in the top 50 of the PSA ranking by the time he turns 19 in 2025 and the top 30 by 2030.
Meanwhile, his father, S. Mogana Sundharam said that apart from emphasising his son’s technical skills and fitness, he is also focusing on getting the right kind of nutritional, physiotherapy and recovery aspects for NIckhileswar.
“These factors are crucial in moulding a good athlete with a long career. Recovery and the right nutrients will help an athlete to stay fit and have a longer career,” he said. – Bernama, November 7, 2022
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