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A Malaysian squash prodigy just wrote her name into the history books.
Sivasangari Subramaniam, the girl who first picked up a racquet at eight in Kedah, has done what no Malaysian has managed since the great Datuk Nicol David in 2017—crash through to the World Championships quarter-finals.
On Tuesday (13 May), the world No. 9 dismantled America’s Amanda Sobhy with the kind of precision that would make her predecessor proud.
The scoreline – 11-8, 14-12, 11-6 – doesn’t quite capture the electricity of those 32 minutes that bridged an eight-year gap in Malaysian squash history.
Scholar-Athlete’s Rise: From Kedah Classrooms to World Stage
The Cornell University mass communications student, balancing academic rigour with professional athletics, has been quietly building toward this moment.
From the courts of SMK Sultanah Asma to the hallowed walls of international squash, Sivasangari’s trajectory mirrors the early path of Malaysia’s most celebrated squash icon.
The SEA Games gold medalist’s humility belies her growing stature in the sport.
That reaction showed how much it means to me. I’ve never made the quarters at the World Championships.
Sivasangari’s Date with Destiny
Her next challenge comes Thursday (15 May) against world No. 4 Olivia Weaver, who holds a daunting 5-1 head-to-head advantage.
But if there’s one thing Sivasangari proved in Chicago, it’s that history is meant to be rewritten.
As Malaysia watches, this student-athlete from Kedah isn’t just chasing a spot in the semi-finals – she’s carrying forward the legacy of Malaysian squash excellence that Nicol built.
And just like her predecessor, she’s doing it with grace, grit, and an unmistakable hunger for greatness.
READ MORE: National Squash Player S. Sivasangari Makes History With London Classic Win
Parts of this story have been sourced from NST.
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