Squash pals’ hopes for gold suit sport to a ‘T’

As Team Singapore enter the final stretch in their preparations for the 28th SEA Games ahead of the opening ceremony on June 5, TODAY takes a closer look at the 36 sports the nation’s 749 athletes will be competing in, as they look to better the 50-gold-medal haul 22 years ago, the last time the biennial event was held here. The focus today is on squash.

SINGAPORE — The name of the tournament may elude squash player Vivian Rhamanan, but one memory from his first Boys’ under-12 final against Marcus Phua has stuck since that fateful day in 1998.

“I remember his small Bata shoes — they were very colourful and no one wore those shoes on court. This boy was different from us, as he had upset a few top seeds, despite being so small,” said 29-year-old Rhamanan, who was 12 at the time.

Younger by two years, Phua had chosen the unusual footwear for practical rather than aesthetic reasons.

“I couldn’t find squash shoes that were small enough for my feet, so that’s why (I wore) the colourful Bata shoes. I was scrawny and small until I turned 18,” he said. “The under-12 was the youngest category available for me and I remember playing against these older, bigger boys and I lost that match to Vivian.”

Since then, the two players have shared a fierce rivalry that has stretched over 50 local and overseas tournaments, but Rhamanan and Phua insist they are friends, not foes.

In fact, their 17-year friendship will see them pairing up in the men’s jumbo doubles at next month’s SEA Games, where the duo aim to end the Republic’s 20-year gold medal drought at the event.

They have been unbeatable since linking up in January last year, winning five local and international tournaments, including the fourth leg of the Malaysian Tour squash circuit (SSJM) in Petaling Jaya last weekend, where they defeated top Malaysian pair Timothy Arnold and Aaron Chee 2-1 in the final. While the Malaysian duo will not feature at the Games, Phua called the victory a “huge boost” for them.

“A lot of people were saying that we couldn’t call ourselves unbeaten until we had defeated this pair,” he said. “Timothy is a former top 100 professional player, and Aaron a top Malaysian junior. Such comments are common in sports, but we just let our results do the talking.”

Rhamanan and Phua expect a strong challenge for SEA Games gold from Thailand’s Chatchawin Tangjaitrong and Poowis Poonsiri, who were crowned champions at a jumbo doubles tournament in Bangkok last weekend.

But the Singaporeans are banking on their chemistry honed over 16 months on court.

“Marcus and I have a good understanding on the court, we cover each other well and know each other’s movements,” said Rhamanan. “I am stronger and fitter and usually try to attack from the back and set him up for the winner.”

Team Singapore’s eight-member squash team — which includes 38-year-old veteran Joannah Yue — will compete in all five events at the Games: Men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s team, and men’s jumbo doubles.

While the Malaysians are not expected to field women’s world No 1 Nicol David, men’s world No 35 Nafiizwan Adnan, Ong Beng Hee (44) and Ivan Yuen (85), they remain favourites for the gold.

Singapore have not tasted SEA Games success since Mah Li Lian (women’s singles) and the men’s team won at the 1995 Chiang Mai Games. Interest in the sport — which enjoyed its heyday when the likes of Peter Hill, Zainal Abidin and Mah ruled in the 1980s and 1990s — has also declined, with many public courts closed because of low usage.

Rhamanan and Phua are hopeful that gold in the jumbo doubles will help revive the sport’s fortunes in Singapore.

“A lot of people say squash is a dying sport, but I believe it is on the rise again,” said Phua. “If we do well at the SEA Games, Sport Singapore can see our success and that will lead to more facilities and funding and allow us to build a base of young players.

“Many in their 40s and 50s have played squash at least once, so we could get them to rekindle their love for the sport and pass it on to their kids. That is an added motivation for us to do well.”

SQUASH AT THE 2015 SEA GAMES:

When: June 9 to 15

Where: Kallang Squash Centre, Tanglin Club (men’s jumbo doubles)

How many medals: Five (men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s team, men’s jumbo doubles)

How much to watch: Admission is free