Nicol Ann David

Datuk Nicol Ann David (born 26 August 1983) is a Malaysian female professional squash player. She is currently ranked world number 1 in women's squash, and is the first Asian woman to achieve this. She won the British Open title in 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2012, as well as the World Open title a record 7 times in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
David is the first squash player to have won the World Junior title twice; in 1999 and 2001 under the tutelage of Richard Glanfield. She remained the only female squash player to have achieved this, until Raneem El Weleily emulated David's feat by winning her second World Junior Championship in 2007. David joined WISPA and turned professional in 2000 when she won her first WISPA title, after only a month in the tour. The victory came in February, when she defeated Salma Shabana in the final of the Savcor Finnish Open. On 7 June 2008, David was honoured with the Order of Merit (Darjah Bakti) or D.B. in conjunction with the birthday of the His Majesty Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin. She was the first recipient of the award which was established on 26 June 1975. David was also invited to carry the Olympic torch for Malaysia during the build up to the Athens Olympics in 2004 and being appointed as UNDP National Goodwill Ambassador for Malaysia.
David's other notable achievements include the Asian Squash Championship, which she won a record eight times (in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2011). She also held a 13-month, 51-match winning streak, from March 2006 until April 2007, when she finally lost to Natalie Grinham in the final of the 2007 Seoul Open. David has also obtained the WISPA Player of the Year on seven occasions, from 2005 until 2010 and 2012.

Personal life

Born in Penang,^[4] David is the daughter of Ann Marie David, a retired Malaysian Chinese school teacher, and Desmond David, a Malaysian Indian^[5] engineer,^[6] who is also a former state athlete and footballer.^[7][8] She has two sisters, Lianne and Cheryl,^[9] both of whom are accomplished squash players at the national level.^[10] As a youngster, mathematics was David's best subject at school;^[1] she dreamed of one day becoming an engineer.^[1] Her primary education was at Sekolah Kebangsaan Convent Green Lane (Convent Green Lane Primary School). David scored seven A's for her Penilaian Menengah Rendah and obtained seven A's in her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (the equivalent to GCSE), which she studied at Convent Green Lane Secondary School in Green Lane, Penang.^[11][12] She was raised a Roman Catholic.^{[citation needed]}

Awards and recognition

On 7 June 2008, David was honoured with the Order of Merit (Darjah Bakti) or D.B.^[13] in conjunction with the birthday of His Majesty Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin.^[14] She was the first recipient of the award which was established on 26 June 1975.^[14] The award is limited to 10 recipients who have made significant contributions in the arts, sciences and the humanities.^[13][14]
On 12 July 2008, David was among 497 people honoured in conjunction with the 70th birthday of the Penang State Governor Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas.^[15] David was also one of the 28 people who received the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri award (DSPN),^[16] which carries the title Datuk, making her the youngest person ever to be conferred Datukship in Penang.^[15] The former Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, a fellow Penangite,^[17] once quipped that David is "now more famous than me".^[7] In July 2007, David received Master of Arts honoris causa; an honorary degree by the University of Nottingham.^[11] David has also obtained the WISPA Player of the Year on six consecutive occasions, from 2005 until 2010.^[18]
David was given the honour of carrying the Olympic torch for Malaysia during the build up to the Athens Olympics of 2004,^[19][20] and was appointed UNDP National Goodwill Ambassador for Malaysia.^[21]