Mah Li Lian (born 24 May 1968) is a Singaporean former professional squash player. She is regarded as the greatest ever squash player to represent Singapore in international circuit. Mah won the

Asian Individual Squash Championships The FMC Asian Individual Squash Championships are the event which serves as the individual Asian championship for Squash (sport), squash players organised by the Asian Squash Federation. The Asian Individual Championships was first held in 1981. ...

on four successive times in 1988, 1990, 1992 and in 1994. She was the first Singaporean player to win Asian Squash Women's singles Championships twice and held the record for winning the most number of Asian Individual Squash Championships until 2006 which was broken by Malaysian veteran

Nicol David Datuk Nicol Ann David (born August 26, 1983) is a retired female Malaysian professional squash player. Beginning in August 2006, David was the world number one for a record-breaking 108 consecutive months, finally ceding the ranking in Septembe ...

Education

In October 1992, Mah went to study Physical Education at

Loughborough University Loughborough University (abbreviated as ''Lough'' or ''Lboro'' for post-nominals) is a public research university in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It has been a university since 1966, but it dates back to 1909, when L ...

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...

, England.

Squash career

Mah won the women's single Squash gold medal at the

1991 Southeast Asian Games The 1991 Southeast Asian Games, officially known as the 16th Southeast Asian Games, was a multi-sport event held in Manila, the Philippines from 24 November to 3 December 1991, with 28 sports featured in the games. This was the second time that ...

held at Manila, Philippines. Mah was awarded the Sportsgirl of the Year in 1986 and the Sportswoman of the Year in 1988 and 1991. In 1992, Mah was awarded the Public Service Medal. Mah won the women’s team gold medal with Della Lee, Lina Ong and Josephine Choo at the

1993 Southeast Asian Games The 1993 Southeast Asian Games, officially known as the 17th Southeast Asian Games were held in Singapore from 12 to 19 June 1993 with 29 sports in 440 events featured in this edition. This was the third time Singapore hosted the games after 1 ...

held in Singapore. In 1994, Mah beat Malaysian

Sandra Wu Sandra Wu Pom San (born 16 May 1976) is a Malaysian retired professional squash player who is also the former national no 1 player and cancer survivor. She has played for Malaysia from 1991 to 1999. Sandra confronted with breast cancer in Januar ...

to win her fourth Asian Individual Squash Championships. Mah also won the women team's gold medal, with Lee and Choo, at the 1994 East Asian Squash Championships. Mah won the women's single gold and the women's team silver at the

1995 Southeast Asian Games The 1995 Southeast Asian Games ( th, กีฬาแห่งเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้ 1995, Kila haeng echeiy tawan oak cheing tai 1995), officially known as the 18th Southeast Asian Games, was a Southe ...

held at

Chiang Mai Chiang Mai (, from th, เชียงใหม่ , nod, , เจียงใหม่ ), sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the second largest city in ...

, Thailand. Mah competed at her maiden Asian Games event in 1998 and claimed a bronze medal in the women's singles.

Personal life

Mah worked as a physical education teacher at Outram Institute. Contributions and Legacy Promotion of Squash: Beyond her competitive career, Mah Li Lian has been involved in promoting squash in Singapore. She has contributed to the development of the sport by coaching youth athletes. Role Model: As one of the most successful squash players from Singapore, Mah Li Lian serves as an inspiration to many aspiring athletes in the country. Her dedication, discipline, and achievements highlight the potential for success in sports. Off the Court: Mah Li Lian has balanced her sports career with other professional and personal commitments, showcasing her versatility and determination.She has continued to pursue lifelong learning and is now an educator in the sports industry. Mah Li Lian remains a celebrated figure in Singaporean sports history, particularly in the squash community. Her legacy continues to inspire new generations of athletes in Singapore and beyond.

References

Living people Singaporean female squash players Squash players at the 1998 Asian Games Squash players at the 1998 Commonwealth Games Asian Games bronze medalists for Singapore Asian Games medalists in squash Commonwealth Games competitors for Singapore 1968 births Medalists at the 1998 Asian Games Victoria Junior College alumni Recipients of the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat SEA Games gold medalists for Singapore SEA Games silver medalists for Singapore SEA Games medalists in squash Competitors at the 1991 SEA Games Competitors at the 1995 SEA Games {{Singapore-squash-bio-stub