Squash a step closer to Olympic inclusion

Squash, baseball/softball and wrestling have made the International Olympic Committee (IOC) shortlist for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic Games.

The IOC made the annoucement of the three shortlisted sports chosen from a list of eight at its summit in St. Petersburg, Russia on Wednesday.

A final decision will be made in September in Buenos Aires, Argentina just before a full IOC session at which the host nation of the Olympics will also be chosen.

With Malaysian squash queen Nicol David leading the charge, there is still reason to be optimistic that squash may make the cut.

Nicol : I am honoured

Squash champion Datuk Nicol Ann David says the meeting with the Prime Minister was a truly meaningful event.

Today in Pictures - Najib for Sarawak Election,Nicol win Open KL and others.

Winners of the 2011 Kuala Lumpur Open Squash Championship, Egypt's Karim Darwish and Malaysia's Nicol Ann David, triumphantly hold up their trophies.

Professor Datuk Mohd Mydin Mohd Musa; Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Al-Haj and Professor Dr Fabio Pigozzi at the 'FIMS - ICEM 2011: International Congress In Sports & Exercise Medicine'. (BOTTOM, from left) Mageswari Rajoo, Dr Fateh Mohamed and Datin Sakina Ismail, also at the event.

 

 

 

(From top) Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, together with their wives Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and Puan Sri Raghad Taib, pause for a time of prayer at Kuching airport; PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak and DPM Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, accompanied by Sarawak CM Tan Sri Taib Mahmud, meet with the Sarawak natives during the leaders' historic joint visit to the state; PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Sarawak CM Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud pose for a picture with the youths of Sarawak during a visit to Serian

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Deputy PM Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today made a joint historic visit to Sarawak state. They were accompanied during the day by Layar assemblyman Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, among other state leaders.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak meets his Facebook fans from Sarawak at Bangunan Dewan Undangan Negeri Lama in Petra Jaya

2010 the best year ever for Nicol David

Nicol with the RM100,000 incentive she received under the National Sports Council's Sports Excellence Reward Scheme for the Guangzhou Asian Games.

It's been a fruitful year for women's world number one squash player Datuk Nicol Ann David, and the time has come for her to celebrate her success.

"I couldn't ask for more and I am pleased ... with all the work hard, everything has paid off," said Nicol when met after the National Sports Council's Sports Excellence Reward Scheme (Shakam) award for the Guangzhou Asian Games held at Dewan Komanwel in Bukit Jalil here today.


Nicol said 2010 had been a fruitful year compared to 2009 and she wanted to keep up the momentum for next year.

The 27-year-old squash player received the second-highest amount of the incentive totalling RM100,000, while senior bowler Alex Liew received the highest amount of RM128,000 for his Asian Games achievement.

Said Nicol: "I think this is the highest incentive I've received. For the Games, this is definitely the highest amount. This incentive is always an added bonus for me.

Golden finish for Malaysia

Malaysia closed the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games campaign on a high note, winning four golds today for a record total of 12 golds, surpassing the 10 won at the Kuala Lumpur Games in 1998.

Badminton, as expected, provided three golds while the surprise fourth came from gymnast Elaine Koon in the hoop discipline.

Elaine won her gold with 25.300 points at the Indira Gandhi Stadium. She also took the silver in the individual ball discipline and a bronze in the rope apparatus. It was a fruitful outing for Elaine in Delhi. On Wednesday, she won bronze in the individual women’s rhythmic gymnastics all round.

"I am so happy, I can’t believe it. Today is my best event ever," a jubilant Elaine said after winning the gold.