This is a truly deserved, and very difficult to win award. Nicol David, 23, squash’s world number 1 is the first Asian Sportswoman of the Year.

She beat 2 other contenders for the title:

- Thailand’s Paweena Thongsuk, reigning Olympic champion in 75-kg women’s weightlifting.

- South Korea’s Jin Sun-yu, former world and reigning Olympic champions in speed skating. At the 2006 Olympics she won 3 gold medals.

Underlining the high standard of the award, the Asian Sportsman of the Year went to none other than 110m hurdles reigning world and Olympic champion, world number one and world record holder, the great Liu Xiang.

Now, Nicol’s next target should be to win the world’s top truly global sporting award, the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award. Competition is of course even tougher.

Look at the winner in 2007, Yelena Isinbayeva, 25, the Russian pole vaulter. She’s considered to be the greatest ever female pole vaulter, having been the first woman to clear 5.00 metres. She’s the reigning Olympic champion and of course world record holder for that event. In fact, she has set 20 world records. She’s a two-time IAAF Female Athlete of the Year (2004 and 2005).

Phew.

How about the winner in 2006? Janica Kostelić, 25, was a Croatian Alpine skier. She’s considered one of the greatest female skiers of all time, being the only woman to win 4 golds in alpine skiing at the Olympics, including 3 at one Olympiad. She’s a 3-time world champion. In 2006 she became only the 3rd woman in World Cup history to win World Cup races in all of the sport’s 5 disciplines. Later, she became only the second female skier ever to win all 5 disciplines in one season.

Very tough indeed. But if she makes it, she should be made the youngest Tan Sri in Malaysian history.

Source
The Star, 13 Dec 2007

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