Pontefract's Asia Harris ready to make sacrifices in bid to be best in the world

​Asia Harris has offers on the table from Harvard and Yale – two of the most famous educational institutions in the world – but that is nothing compared to the knowledge she is gleaning from Nick Matthew, the former three-time world champion at Hallamshire Squash Club, writes Nick Westby.

And that is where the 18-year-old is placing her immediate future.

Harris, who took up squash at the age of five because it piqued her interest as she walked past the squash courts on the way to her dance class, turned professional aged 16.

She spends two days a week at the Nick Matthew Academy, another few hours at Doncaster Squash Club working on her strength and conditioning and then squeezes a few sessions in up in Harrogate with Dave Pearson, her technical.

In between it all she finds time to study for her A-levels at Pontefract College, which given Harvard and Yale want her, she must be quite good at.

“I’ve had to turn them down unfortunately, just because I’ve got a good set-up here, I’m enjoying playing squash,” said the very mature Asia.

“Those two universities have always said if you want to take a gap year out and join us after that you’re always welcome. But I’m just really enjoying squash at the minute and I don’t want to change anything.

“I’ll definitely have a look at it next year, see where I am because I don’t know where squash will take me, but for now I’m just happy with the team around me to guide me through.”

For now, squash has the potential to take her around the world.

Already two years into her professional life she has risen from 358th in the world when she turned professional on her 16th birthday, to 102nd.

In the last month she celebrated turning 18 by finishing third out of 128 competitors at the US Junior Open in Philadelphia then followed that up by finishing sixth at the British Junior Open out of a similarly large field.

This year there are two final junior events representing England in Switzerland and Australia on the agenda, plus professional tournaments in Spain, Gibraltar and France, but only if she can raise enough money to get there.

“I receive a small amount of funding, but I’m on the search for some sponsors because I am having to pay 50 per cent towards these trips,” she says.

“Just something to give me a base, knowing I can travel to these events without having to worry, would be massive.”

Her parents – dad Jason is a former professional footballer with Crystal Palace among others – have been a huge help, but she cannot rely on them for ever.

“Everything I earn is going straight back to them and all goes back in the pot for the next event.”

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The education she is getting from Sheffield’s long-time world number one Matthew will stand her in good stead.

“What I’m trying to get out of Nick is ‘what would you do in my situation?’” she explains.

“It’s always useful having a three-time world champion telling you what to do in certain situations, even if it’s a tie break at 10-all in the fifth, how to keep your anxiety levels at a medium so it’s not affecting you too much.

“Mentally over the last couple of months, having played seven tournaments back to back, it’s been about how to keep ticking over and staying focused.

“It would be easy to think you need a break, so he’s been good with that and also physically with my recovery and nutrition.”

As much as she loves her sport, and right now can’t see herself doing anything else, Harris admits there is a nagging question mark over the sustainability of her sport in the long term.

Squash’s absence from the Olympic programme, for instance, has always been something that has held it back in terms of exposure, television deals and sponsorship.

“Just before I signed pro I did question whether it was the right move,” she admits.

“Squash is not an Olympic sport, people don’t know about it.

“But on the flip side, it made me want to do well so I can promote it in my area.

“Nobody in Pontefract other than my mum, friends, dad’s friends, know about squash.

“There’s Sam Todd on the same level as me, it’s nice to have two professional squash players in the Pontefract town, it brings awareness to the sport. It’s nice to have a female athlete that plays the sport.

“It does worry me sometimes. It can be distressing, but it would be a shame for me to give up a sport I absolutely love just because it’s not in the Olympics.

“It’d be a shame to go a full career and it not be in the Olympics. I don’t see that happening, I do see some positivity.”