CIMB Junior Squash Development Programme

KUALA LUMPUR: The CIMB Junior Squash Development Programme (“CIMB JSDP”) today celebrated the success of the Malaysian squash juniors for their outstanding performance at the 2017 Asian Junior Squash Championship in Hong Kong in February. The quartet of players consisting of Sivasangari Subramaniam, Andrea Lee Jia Qi, Zoe Foo Yuk Han and Aifa Azman made the country proud by bagging the Asian Junior Women’s Team Championship title after beating Hong Kong 2-0.

The Junior Men’s Team comprising Darren Rahul Pragasam, Wong Sai Hung, Mohd Farez Izwan Mohd Mukhtar and Mohd Hafiz Zhafri Abdul Harif finished second.

Squash Racquet Association Malaysia (SRAM) is also proud to announce that Ng Eain Yow and Sivasangari bagged the coveted Hassan Musa Award, Asian Squash Federation’s (ASF) award for Most Outstanding Performance in the Boys’ and Girls’ categories respectively while Ong Beng Hee was named the Best Junior Coach by ASF.

Dato’ Hamidah Naziadin, Chief Executive Officer, CIMB Foundation said, “The CIMB Junior Squash Development Programme has been the cornerstone of Malaysia’s squash activities for almost a decade, benefitting over 4,000 junior players to date. We are proud to see continued excellence from this programme, and to note that almost all of them representing Malaysia are our top players from the CIMB Junior Squash Development Programme, which reflects our dedication and commitment in nurturing world class players. I am sure the nation shares our pride of these world class achievements.”

Mr Huang Ying How, President, SRAM said, “We have created an enviable junior development programme together and we see meaningful progress in all our players who have been through the programme.

“The notable accomplishments by our juniors were made possible with CIMB Foundation’s continuous support of SRAM. These achievements are also fresh milestones to the track records of the CIMB JSDP.

“CIMB Foundation has renewed its commitment to sponsor SRAM’s Junior Squash Development Programme 2017 by launching the 12th CIMB Rising Stars National Junior Circuit (Under-9, Under-11 and Under-13 Divisions) and the 8th CIMB National Junior Circuit (Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 Divisions). More than 550 juniors are competing in the opening leg of both circuits which are integral to the CIMB JSDP 2017. Apart from cash incentives for the circuit winners, CIMB Foundation will also fly the overall champions to the UK for the annual British Junior Open.

CIMB has also agreed to fund external coaches and an inter-school tournament for a Ministry of Education (MOE) programme at schools with squash courts. Called the SPTS-MOE-CIMB National Circuit, winners will be sponsored by CIMB to play in the National Junior Championship in 2018.

My thanks to CIMB for supporting our new initiative with the Ministry of Education to develop the district school squash programme. The main goal that drives all our activities is finding new talent and I believe that this programme will definitely help nurture new squash champions.”