She has her target set: reaching the top of the world in squash. And she’ll do whatever it takes to get there.
Botwright looked to play squash in a bikini, now she looks out for just her ranking.
HYDERABAD: She has her target set: reaching the top of the world in squash. And she’ll do whatever it takes to get there. Vicky Botwright from Manchester in England was pushed to the wall when she looked to promote the game in her own novel way. Vicky made headlines at the 2001 British Open when she announced her plans to wear a bikini-style outfit while competing. The governing body — Women’s International Squash Players Association (WISPA) — banned the move but Vicky was thereafter labelled the thong girl.
“It was rather harsh when the media played up the thong bit. I was only looking to promote the game and nothing beyond,” said Vicky who is in Hyderabad to take part in the WISPA Women’s World Championship. The adverse publicity made her even contemplate quitting the game for some time. But instead she chose to take on the challenge and throw her game in the face of all the people who accused her of using her body more than her talent to get ahead.
“I was ranked 15 in the world when the story of the thong was all over me. But, today I’m five in the world,” said Vicky with a board smile on her face. “But for my sister Rebecca — a squash player as well — and my parents, things would have been different. They stood by my side, and I am here,” said Vicky about her jump up the ranking ladder.
Her parents pushed Vicky into the game when she was 13 years of age.
“My parents are both squash players and they did want me to be one too. Though I did not like it, they forced me to hold the racket. But it paid off,” she says giving a bit of fillip to parental pressure and its positives. She joined the WISPA Tour in the year 1998 and breached the top ten in the year 2005. She started the year by reaching the final of the Marsh McLennan tournament in the US. Vicky reached five WISPA finals in 2005, including the Qatar Classic as sixth seed, and won the Yokohama Open crown in Japan. In December 2005 Vicky celebrated a career best world number five spot to become England’s highest ranked woman for the first time.
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