Currently, the group of youths, aged between 10 to 13, train for one hour every Sunday at the squash courts of the Ace Centre of Excellence on the grounds of Universiti Malaya here.
They kids are from the Trinity Children’s Home in Petaling Jaya, and have been spending the last few months training and honing their skills in squash.
Their sessions are part of a free initiative by the Phoenix Squash Club, a local society registered under the Sports Commissioner’s Office of Malaysia.
The club’s aim is to introduce underprivileged children to the sport, and equip them with the proper coaching they need to excel.
“Not that many kids nowadays know a lot about squash. So, we hope to expose them to the sport, and help them train in it.
“We hope to give these kids the opportunity to one day represent their school, their state or even their country in squash,” the club’s vice-president Shri Viknsh Balasubramaniam, 25, told FMT Lifestyle.
According to Viknsh, this initiative was inspired by the club president’s experience working with the Nicol David Organisation, providing squash training and educational opportunities for children in the B40 group.
The Phoenix Squash Club is currently based in both Mahsa International School in Saujana Putra and the Botanic Resort Club in Klang. It is believed to be the first squash club in Selangor to conduct a programme of this nature for orphans.
Their initiative, conducted by Viknsh and other members of the club, is currently attended by eight to 10 youths from Trinity Children’s Home who have interest in the sport.
“The kids are very excited about the training every week, and it gives us a lot of pleasure to train them. All of them have a lot of potential,” said Viknsh, a former state squash player who’s been active in the sport for about 15 years.
“We’re very thankful to Ace Sports and the management for sponsoring this court, which we can use for one hour every Sunday.”
Viknsh said he believed many of the programme’s young protégés have what it takes to go far, and aims for them to participate in a tournament next year.
Of course, reaching the higher levels of the sport will take more than just one hour of training once a week.
The club is therefore looking for financial aid to sustain the programme for the long-run, and to supply its members with necessary sports equipment. They also hope to extend their initiative to more centres across Petaling Jaya.
Training for squash offers players a range of benefits, apart from improving their health and fitness, Viknsh said. Who knows, perhaps one of their participants could one day become the next Nicol David?
“As I can attest from my own experience, squash opens doors to a lot of opportunities. Participants can go on to become coaches, officials, referees and more,” Viknsh said.
“Squash has become an Olympic sport in 2026, and I think we should keep training our young athletes. They have the potential to truly go far.”
WISH TO MAKE A DONATION?
Contact Viknsh at 012-7820663 or email him at [email protected]. Also, follow the Phoenix Squash Club on Facebook and Instagram.