A SQUASH player based in Colwyn Bay is appealing for donations so that she can compete in a Malaysian tournament later this month.

Emily Whitlock, who is ranked as the 18th-best female player in the world by the Professional Squash Association, hopes to raise the £685 she needs to compete in the Malaysian Open competition, which takes place between November 23-27.

Emily, 27, has set up a GoFundMe page for people to donate, and is more than halfway to receiving the full £685 she needs to fully pay for the trip to Kuala Lumpur.

She said: “With the Malaysian Open only just being confirmed as going ahead - entries closed on October 19 but everyone who entered was informed it might not go ahead due to Malaysia’s COVID restrictions - I need a bit of financial help again.

“I’m struggling to make up for the financial loss and also pay for the greater costs I’ll have to pay for Malaysia because I couldn’t book things in advance.

“I have only calculated what I’d need to cover costs from this weekend and the extra amounts for the Malaysian Open, and it’s come to £685.

“This isn’t paying for my trip altogether, it’s just to make sure I can fully pay for the trip.

“Prices have gone up with the delay in finding out whether it was going ahead or not and as a non-funded player playing the Welsh Nationals, I need to make up for that weekend as well as my prize money doesn’t cover it.”

Emily also works as a personal trainer and added that she will adjust the amount she needs to raise if she can make money through that, too.

She has a 60.3 per cent win ratio in her 287-game squash career, and reached a career-high world ranking of number 12 in November 2017.

To donate to Emily’s page, visit: www.gofundme.com/f/help-em-cover-extra-malaysian-open-costs.