CHENNAI: When Aira Azman played Australia's Jessica Turnbull in the Squash World Cup, Aifa, her sister, was her loudest supporter in an otherwise quiet centre court at the Indian Squash Academy on Thursday. 51 minutes later, it was the other way around, with Aira on the sidelines cheering for Aifa, as she dominated her opponent Madison Lyon.
While both may have won in considerably easier circumstances, that is not the case when the duo are on tour playing tougher opponents. They explain what it is like to watch each other play. "I think Aifa is a bit more tense when we are on tour because this is about individual games but here, it is more about the team so we are calm. I'm more calm in a way because I really believe in her," Aira explained.
Aifa, although trying to save face with her chuckles when her younger sister said that, further explained, "I want her to win. That is why I am stressed, like my mom. I don't want to show Aira that but I think she already knows I'm stressed," Aifa explained.
As 21-year-old Aira and 23-year-old Aifa try to battle their anxieties, they see themselves placed within the top 50 of the PSA rankings. Their attacking and no-nonsense style of play has resulted in quick-fire victories against their opponents.
That was on show here, when Aifa — 33rd in the PSA rankings, saw her opponent off in 10 minutes. World Rank no. 24 Aira had to see off Jessica Turnbull in a 15-minute battle.
With Malaysia winning the rubber 3-1 against Australia, they enter the quarterfinals, and are set to face Japan in the quarterfinals on Friday. Their journey with squash began thanks to their elder sister Aika Azman. "There is a term in the country called 'one student one sport.' So Aika had to choose an indoor sport like squash because of the harsh weather conditions there," Aira said.
As nine-year-old Aika took the racquet then, five-year-old Aifa and two-year-old Aira followed. Squash became a daily routine for the sisters, and years after succeeding in the junior circuit, both Aifa and Aira may see themselves primed for bigger success.
Growing up in their home in Kedah, the bond between the younger siblings grew deeper when Aika, then 13, was selected to study at the Bukit Jalil Sports School in Kuala Lumpur, which is four hours away. "Both me and Aira trained together for a long time, but when we turned 13 and 15, respectively, we moved to the sports school and there, we were 20 minutes away (from Aika)," Aifa explained.
Aika, now married with children, is now a coach in Malaysia. "We have been talking about squash all the time. She explains how to handle emotions and also gives us tactical advice. She also knows what it is like to win and lose. That way, she will not pressurise us and knows that we will come back stronger," explained Aifa.
With squash eating up most of their time between the three sisters, they felt that they do best with whatever little time they have for themselves and their families. "I'm just glad that I have my younger sister with me on tour every time. So, if I miss a festival, say, Eid, I have my sister on tour. At least, I don't feel like missing out," she explained.
Results: At Express Avenue Mall: Hong Kong, China 2-2 South Africa; India 4-0 Brazil (V Senthilkumar bt P Mometto, Anahat S bt L da Silva, Abhay S bt D Gobbi, J Chinappa W/o Bruna M); At ISA: Malaysia 3-1 Australia; Japan 1-3 Egypt.
Quarter final lineup (Friday) At Express Avenue Mall: Hong Kong, China vs Switzerland (10.30 am), Japan vs Malaysia (1pm), Egypt vs Australia (3.30pm), South Africa vs India.
9-12 play-offs: At ISA: Korea vs Iran (10.30 am), Brazil vs Poland (1pm)