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PETAL JAYA: Nicol David, eight times world champion (pix) has been named the greatest World Games athlete of all time after topping a poll conducted by the International World Games Association (IWGA).
Conducted between January 8 and February 1 via The World Games website, the poll featured 24 of the best athletes to appear at The World Games, a multi-sport event held every four years.
Nicol finished on top with 318,943 fan votes, more than double that of his closest competitor, Irish tug of war legend James Kehoe. With 1,204,637 votes cast in total, 26 percent of the votes went to the Malaysian superstar.
The 37-year-old from Penang is one of the greatest squash players of all time and won a trio of gold medals at the World Games as well as a bronze.
He also enjoyed an unprecedented nine-year reign at the top of the world rankings between 2006-2015 and lifted two Commonwealth Games gold medals, five Asian Games gold medals, and five British Open trophies during his career. distinguished career, which came to an end in 2019..
“It is a great honor to be nominated by The World Games as the greatest athlete of all time and to win so much support from everyone in Malaysia and the squash community,” said Nicol.
“It was a surprise to see me among these other elite athletes and I am grateful for this … I hope it can raise awareness of the future of squash and it is a proud moment to represent my country and Asia.
WSF President Zena Wooldridge said: “Nicol has beaten several distinguished athletes to first place and her victory is recognition of a wonderful career that saw her break numerous records and win everything there was to win in the sport.
“Nicol is not only one of the greatest athletes of all time, she is also a great role model for thousands of people around the world and a true ambassador for our sport. I am also delighted to see the support that Nicol enjoyed from our passionate and loyal squash community and we are all proud to see Nicol named the greatest athlete of all time at the World Games. “
IWGA President José Perurena said: “I would like to warmly congratulate Nicol David on his victory in The World Games Greatest Athlete of All Time poll. Nicol David is an inspiring athlete and an excellent role model for younger athletes.
“The race was amazing and it was good to see how the athletes, including David, received support not only from their own sport, but also from their country and the highest sports authorities there. Sports really bring people together in a special way. This vote was a celebration of that. “
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