Squash prodigy Simmi Chan eyes Hong Kong No 1 spot – but only after graduation at Columbia
- Second year Columbia University student lifted the NCAA title in March, and is now ranked No 37 in the world
- Chan is among 12 players to represent hosts at next week’s Asian Championships, a prelude to Asian Games
Simmi Chan Sin-yuk is in no rush to become Hong Kong’s top women’s squash player, as she tries to strike a balance between studying and the sport.
But that remains the ultimate goal for the 20-year-old, who will represent her city in next week’s Asian Championships as the sixth seed.
Back in Hong Kong for the summer, the second year Columbia University student said playing in college had affected her chances on the professional circuit, and her world ranking.
“Studying in the United States and playing in the NCAA has cost me opportunities in the tour which will definitely affect my ranking,” Chan – who became the first player from Hong Kong to lift the NCAA title in March – said.
“But my plan is to walk on two legs at the moment, taking care of both my studies and sports. But once I have graduated from university, I’ll turn my full attention to squash and by that time I want to become the leading player of the Hong Kong team.”
Two of the city’s top former players, Annie Au Wing-chi and Joey Chan Ho-ling, retired after steering Hong Kong to team gold at the 2018 Asian Games. Au once climbed as high as No 6 in the world, while Joey Chan cracked the top 20 at No 16 – both far ahead of any existing Hong Kong player.
Now with the second-highest ranking on the team despite her age, Chan is set to make her Asian Games debut in Hangzhou in September, but it will not come at the expense of her studies.
“I will stop preparations ahead of the Hangzhou Games as I plan to return to the United States when the new academic year begins in September – the first two weeks is always important in studies,” she said. “I will talk to the coach to see if there is any possible arrangement to be made so that I can keep my playing form to a minimum standard.”
Hong Kong will put up six men and six women at the Asian Championships, which will take place at Squash Centre in Central over June 6-10. It will be the first time the city has hosted the regional top-tier competition, which will also serve as a prelude to the Asian Games.
In the women’s draw, Satomi Watanabe of Japan will top the seedings as world No 19, followed by Hong Kong’s Tomato Ho Tze-lok, who recently broke into the world’s top 30 with a career-high ranking of 23.
Malaysia, a traditional powerhouse in the region, will occupy the next three seedings, including world No 34 Sivasangari Subramaniam, who lost to Chan in this year’s NCAA final. Other local challenges will come from world No 39 Tong Tsz-wing, the defending champion, as well as Lee Ka-yi, Cheng Nga-ching, and Fung Ching-hei.
The men’s draw will feature defending champion Ng Eain Yow of Malaysia, the top seed with a world ranking of 20, while world No 44 Alex Lau Tsz-kwan of Hong Kong will be seeded second. Other Hong Kong representatives include Henry Leung Chi-hin, Tang Ming-hong, Wong Chi-him, Matthew Lai Cheuk-nam, and Chung Yat-long.
Three Hong Kong men’s players have lifted the regional title before, including Faheem Khan – who is now the men’s coach – in 1992, Leo Au Chun-ming in 2015, and Max Lee Ho-yin in 2017.
In the women’s event, Annie Au Wing-chi also won in 2013 while Rebecca Chiu-wing, now the women’s coach, reached the final five times from 2000 to 2010 but lost them all to Nicol David of Malaysia.
