KUALA LUMPUR: To achieve something in life, you need to make sacrifices.
National squash player J. Yasshmita proved that nothing is impossible if you put your heart and soul into it.
It was not easy for her to juggle studies and competitive squash at the same time.
The Negri Sembilan player made a major decision in her life by taking a two-year break from studies to concentrate fully on squash.
After completing her first year of business management studies at Western London University in Bristol, England, she moved to Cairo in October last year to train under world-renowned coaches Andrew Shoukry and Ahmed Faragallah.
When she started training in Cairo a year ago, she was ranked 84th in the world and improved her ranking to 54th.
Yasshmita, whose mentor is current world No. 14 Salma Hany of Egypt, has produced outstanding results over her last three PSA Squash Tour events.
As a qualifier in the Egyptian Open last month, Yasshmita showed tremendous resilience by stunning top players to reach the third round.
Yasshmita beat world No. 34 Marian Metwally of Egypt in the first round. She came back from the brink of defeat to stun world No. 20 Farida Mohamed of Egypt in five games in the second round.
The Malaysian is now playing in the Asian Team Championships in Islamabad, Pakistan from Nov 3-7, which means she will miss the Deepavali celebration with her family.
“Missing another Deepavali with my family is never easy. The last time I celebrated at home was in 2023, a year that was particularly difficult as I lost my beloved grandfather, my favourite person, just three weeks before Deepavali.
“Three years have passed, but those memories remain close to my heart. The journey as a professional athlete comes with many sacrifices, and missing precious moments and celebrations with loved ones is certainly one of them.
“Although I cannot be home this year, my family is always in my heart. I look forward to the day we can celebrate together again and create more beautiful memories. Wishing everyone a blessed Deepavali filled with love, light and happiness,” said Yasshmita.
Yasshmita thanked her parents for funding her training in Cairo and helping her achieve her dreams in squash.
“When I started this season, my goal was to break into the world’s top 50. I am grateful to have made encouraging progress towards that target, and it has given me even more confidence and motivation to push myself further.
“Now, I want to raise the bar and challenge myself to reach the world’s top 40 by the end of the season. I know it won’t be easy.
“It will take hard work, consistency, patience and determination, but I am ready to give it everything I have.
“I will continue learning, improving and taking it one match at a time. This is the next goal I want to chase,” said Yasshmita.