KUALA LUMPUR: Squash player S. Sivasangari, a symbol of resilience and determination, has become an inspiration to many following her remarkable return to the sport after a road accident in June.
The Kedah-born suffered severe head and body injuries, undergoing two surgeries and enduring a five-month hiatus from the sport. However, her unwavering spirit prevailed.
Before the accident, Sivasangari was steadily climbing the women's rankings, reaching No. 16. Predictably, her absence from the PSA Tour resulted in a drop to No. 45 in March.
The 24-year-old only resumed training at Cornell University in the United States under coach David Palmer in December last year.
After months of intense physical and court training, she showed class by finishing runner-up to Hong Kong's Chan Sin Yuk at the Asian Championships in June this year.
In August, Sivasangari secured her first PSA title in 2023, claiming the Tuanku Muhriz Trophy in Seremban.
Her upward trajectory continued as she contributed two gold medals, one each in the individual and team events, at the Hangzhou Asian Games in September.
Sivasangari did well to reach the semi-finals of the Ace Malaysia Squash Cup in Seremban before losing to top seed Nour El Tayeb of Egypt on Thursday.
In her quest to climb up the world rankings, Sivasangari, who is currently ranked 32nd in the world, will forgo spending the entire Deepavali day with her family as she will be travelling on Sunday to play in the Singapore Open, which starts on Tuesday.
Reflecting on her journey, Sivasangari said: "I worked very hard and kept improving after the two surgeries due to the car accident.
"I am very happy with the progress I've made this year, and I hope to keep making breakthroughs."
"My advice to up-and-coming players is to work hard, be disciplined, and set targets."
Last year, Sivasangari celebrated Deepavali with her family while in recovery.
"Although I was in pain, I was happy to celebrate Deepavali with my family last year. It was my first time with them on Deepavali day after four years."
"It is always nice to spend quality time with family. But sometimes you need to sacrifice your time to focus on tournaments.
"I hope to break into the top 20 soon, but it will all depend on how I do in the next three tournaments this year."
Sivasangari will also feature in two tournaments in Hong Kong next month.
