ASEAN Games Australia 2013 squash: Sibling rivalry

IT was all too weird for Malaysian squash player Chong Sue Hsien, who defeated her sister for the ASEAN Games Australia 2013 Women’s Singles squash title. Leon Saw reports.

Sisters Chong Sue Yin (left) and Chong Sue Hsien (right) battled it out on the courts in the women’s squash finals. Photo: Syaza M Shakharulain

Malaysian squash player Chong Sue Hsien steamrolled the meagre competition, including her sister, at the 2013 ASEAN Games Australia to capture the Women’s Singles squash title.

The 22 year-old, a recent Monash University Bachelor of Commerce graduate, comprehensively dispatched two of her opponents to set up a showdown with her younger sister, Chong Sue Yin, to decide the winner.

The siblings’ squash pedigree promised an exciting encounter. Sue Hsien once represented her state of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysian squash tournaments and was ranked fifth for Girls Under-17 in the Malaysian national junior squash circuit in 2007, while Sue Yin was ranked eighth for Girls Under-15 in 2007, for the same circuit.

Showdown. Chong Sue Hsien (right) defeated her younger sister three sets to nil. Photo: Syaza M Shakharulain

However, the match was a rather casual affair with Sue Hsien defeating her 20-year-old sibling three sets to nil.

In fact, the sisters were not too fussed about who won.

“I really don’t like to play competitive squash matches against my younger sister,” Sue Hsien confessed.

“We train together a lot so it’s very weird.”

Sue Yin, who is an architecture student at Monash University, echoed her elder sibling’s sentiment.

“I really can’t take my elder sister seriously when I play squash competitively against her,” she lamented.

“We just train together so much.”

The Men’s Singles

Cementing Malaysia’s dominance in the squash events is Malaysian and recent University of Melbourne Bachelor of Commerce graduate, Yong Wei Keen, who won the Men’s Singles squash title.

Malaysian and recent University of Melbourne Bachelor of Commerce graduate, Yong Wei Keen, claimed a narrow victory in the men’s title for squash. Photo: Syaza M Shakharulain

However, in contrast with the women’s singles squash event, he was victorious by the narrowest of margins.

After the field of five male players had completed their matches, Wei Keen had as many wins (three) as fellow Malaysian and eventual runner-up Ong Han Jie. But Wei Keen was awarded the title for scoring a mere 12 more points in his matches than Han jie did in his.

Wei Keen’s victory was all the more impressive after badly injuring his index finger during his opening match.

“It was no big deal,” he said.

“I just put [the finger] in ice until it was numb and I was good to go again.”

For his efforts, Wei Keen received a cash prize, which he intends to share with his fellow competitors, who are his friends.

“We decided beforehand we would pool together all the money we won for a meal,” he said.

“It’s been a long time since all of us had a meal together so it will probably be yum cha!”