M’sian squash player Wee Wern resilient despite losing training allowances

GEORGE TOWN − Former world number five squash player Low Wee Wern is not giving up on her quest to regain her top ranking despite having her full-time training programme allowances withdrawn on grounds of a dip in form as a result of injury.

The 31-year-old professional player said that she plans to return to training after her surgical-repaired injury heals in the next few months.

Currently, she is building up her strength work daily and undergoing physio at the Datuk Nicol David International Squash Centre in Bukit Dumbar.

Once hailed as a potential heir to world champion Datuk Nicol David, Wee Wern told a press conference here that she is the only Malaysian squash player to have achieved a top five global ranking while based in Penang (Malaysia).

She did it in 2014 while based out of the centre here with only a local supporting cast.

“Most of our top squash players were forced to be based overseas to qualify for the top ten players ranking in the world. I did it while I was in Penang,” said a beaming Wee Wern.

She now plans to continue her training after she is fully rehabilitated with hopes that she can be selected for the Commonwealth Games and for other tournaments.

She also plans to enter other championships if she can qualify for it.

Wee Wern, who’s life revolves around squash daily, gave up academic and job offers to remain in Penang.

Last month, the full-time athlete was slapped with a surprise.

While recovering from her leg injury, she was informed that she was among the over 200 national athletes who were dropped from the National Sports Council’s (NSC) full time training programme as the Youth and Sports Ministry began to slice its budget for sports.

NSC recently announced that only 248 truly eligible regular athletes and 45 para-athletes would be retained for full-time training programmes compared to over 400 athletes and 114 para-athletes, who previously trained under NSC.

As for backup athletes, 178 regular athletes and 22 para-athletes were retained. 

Last year, 260 regular backup athletes were on the list while there wasn’t such a list for para-athletes.

Wee Wern loses up to over RM4,000 in monthly allowances because of this.

The state of Penang is trying to help Wee Wern continue her career as a professional player through the efforts of its state sports council director Harry Chai Heng Hua, sports administrator Christopher Koh and state exco for youth and sports Soon Lip Chee.

Lip Chee will convene a fund-raising meeting with potential sponsors after the Lunar New Year if some 20 state athletes, like Wee Wern, who were dropped from NSC, wish to continue their quest to become world champions.

He said the state will speak to corporate entities about making those athletes, who have been dropped from the training programmes, into ambassadors for their respective companies’ products and services.

Lip Chee has appealed to the ministry to find ways to support talented athletes as they have a chance to drum up support for the country in challenging times, such as the one currently being faced as a result of the pandemic - The Vibes, January 27, 2022