Jinoreeka Ning’s rise to the top of Asian junior squash is nothing short of extraordinary.
It is the kind of story that should inspire a nation, spark urgent questions in sports corridors, and remind us what true grit looks like.
The 15-year-old squash prodigy clinched her second Asian Junior Championship title in South Korea on Saturday, defying the odds stacked against her in a state system riddled with dysfunction and neglect.
It is a stunning achievement built on relentless discipline, quiet sacrifice, and months of self-funded training in Egypt.
Beneath the golden shimmer of her medal is a heartbreaking reality that no young athlete should have to endure.
That she succeeded despite having no coaching support in Perak, is both a stirring tale of resilience and a damning indictment of the sport’s governance.
The Perak Squash Association (PSA) is locked in a bitter, years-long internal struggle that has rendered it functionally useless.
There are no full-time coaches. No structure. No direction.
A broken system
Let’s be clear: the fault doesn’t lie with the athletes.
Jinoreeka and fellow Perak-born champion Low Wa Sern, now based in the US, are not products of PSA.
They are products of desperation, grit, and the unwavering love of their parents.
What message are we sending to young sports talents when they are forced to operate outside the system to thrive?
The Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) acknowledges the long-standing issues within the PSA, but says its ability to intervene is limited by the structure of state-level governance.
President Gerard Monteiro said they had made repeated efforts to resolve the problems, but meaningful progress had been difficult without cooperation from PSA officials.
He noted that the situation was exacerbated by the fact that PSA representatives have not attended SRAM’s annual general meetings for several years.
Still, with the situation showing no signs of improvement, it may be time for SRAM to consider firmer measures to protect the interests of young athletes caught in the crossfire.
Talent development cannot wait for egos to deflate or factions to shake hands.
Parents pay the price
Behind every young prodigy abandoned by the system is a parent quietly bleeding for their child’s dreams.
In Jinoreeka’s case, her parents, R Manivannan and Toh Chee Kuan, have spent over RM250,000 to fund her squash journey.
That includes training stints in Cairo under Omar Aziz, international competitions, sparring trips to Kuala Lumpur, and even cooking their own meals abroad to save costs.
They run a small restaurant in Ipoh. They are not wealthy. But they are parents of purpose.
Their sacrifices should shame the PSA administrators whose job is to support, not undermine, young athletes.
We need reform. Not just for squash in Perak, but for youth sports across Malaysia.
The system is failing the very talents it was designed to nurture.
Talent development cannot be hostage to infighting.
A wake-up call
To stay silent in the face of this dysfunction is to be complicit.
Sport is about values — discipline, teamwork, sacrifice.
What values are we teaching when administrators squabble and let children pay the price?
Jinoreeka is not just a champion. She is a wake-up call.
Let’s not celebrate her in the headlines and abandon her in policy.
Jinoreeka Ning after winning her event at the Asian Junior Squash Championships in Gimcheon, South Korea, on Saturday.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.