Athlete of the Week: Doug Lam

Lam, a resident of Hong Kong, began to play squash at age nine. "My mom pushed me out on the court with a racquet and ball and I started hitting the ball against the wall and thought it was cool, so I kept doing it," he said. Lam recalled having "no idea how to win" at his first under-10 tournament. But before the tournament started, "a group of local Hong Kong players came and coached me and I ended up winning the whole thing." Perhaps this was harbinger of the success in Lam's future.

Julia Tiernan/YH

Lam was low on coach Dave Talbott's recruiting list as a senior at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Conn., evidently underestimated by the Bulldogs head man. Since coming to Yale, Lam has moved from position five to two. This season, Lam jumped into the number one slot, and does not seem to be in over his head.

Team captain Devraj Roy, TC '98, attributes Lam's success to his developing mental toughness. "I've known Lam for three years. He wasn't always composed on the court. Now he's become really composed and a tough competitor. Also, this year his work ethic has been phenomenal," Roy said.

According to many of his teammates, "Chopper" is not an ordinary player. "He always hits a lot of unorthodox shots and messes up his opponents," teammate Nikhil Bhandare, TD '99, said. For example, "His favorite shot is the reverse corner. He throws it o ut at the weirdest times; not always the wisest times though," Roy said, laughing. Unorthodox or not, Lam wins. He wins partly because "he always plays with a lot of heart," according to Robert Gilpin, TC '01, said.

His determination and willpower are his main st-rengths, his teammates all agreed. Gilpin, Ringel, and Bhandare also intimated that fashion plays a role in Lam's squash game. "He likes to look GQ smooth. Half of the preparation is fashion, not just squash. He probably strikes fear in his opponents because he dresses so well," Gilpin joked.

Lam is widely described as incredibly funny, always ready with a funny joke or comment to give the squad a lift.

Although Lam likes the intensity of the sport and "the idea of quick decision-making--either you act or you react to the ball--it also involves decisions on shots and tactics." Lam has decided to retire his racquet after four years of "great competitive squash" at the collegiate level. Soon, Lam's focus will switch from the squash court to medical school in either Hong Kong or the United States.

--Naomi Zeff

Back to Sports...