SEPANG, Nov 28 — Malaysian squash queen, Datuk Nicol David, has been announced as the Malaysia 30th SEA Games contingent mentor by Youth and Sports Minister, Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman.

He said the eight-time world champion is an exemplary person for Malaysians to emulate.

"I believe Nicol as mentor will energise our young athletes at the SEA Games, especially in the tough times.

"Although she has retired, in reality, she’s always there for Malaysia,” he said during a national contingent send-off gesture at the KL International Airport (KLIA) today.

The holder of 81 Professional Squash Association (PSA) titles said: "I think it is so great to be given this opportunity to work with the athletes, and I thank YB for seeing that I can give back with the experiences that I’ve had.

"Today, wearing this striped suit, it feels a bit different because when I play for the country it is something else, but to give back is another role and I feel it is nice that I can belong to something bigger. I’m very excited and wish the athletes all the best,” she said. — Bernama