Maltese squash player Colette Sultana has announced her retirement from competitive squash, bringing to a close a career that began at the age of nine at the Marsa Sports Club.
Over the course of her career on the professional world tour, Sultana reached a career-high world ranking of No. 91 and won three Professional Squash Association (PSA) titles. She also claimed several junior titles and held the title of Malta National Champion for more than 16 years. Sultana also competed in US College Squash while studying at Ivy League Columbia University, where she earned All-American honours.
Colette Sultana has been a key member of the Malta National Team for the past two decades, representing Malta at three Commonwealth Games and numerous European and international competitions. Her achievements include several gold medals at the Games of the Small States of Europe, gold medals at the European Team Championships Division 3, and a top-12 finish at the European Individual Championships.
Announcing her retirement, Sultana said:
“After more than 22 years in the sport, I have made the difficult decision to retire from competitive squash. Due to long-term injuries, my body can no longer tolerate the training required to compete at the level I know I am capable of playing at, and I feel that this is the right time to step away from competitive play.”
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunities and experiences squash has given me. The sport has taken me around the world, allowing me to live and train across four continents, and I am particularly proud to have represented Malta throughout my career.”
“I close this chapter with a full heart and look forward to continuing my involvement in the sport through coaching and mentoring the next generation of players.”
As she steps away from competition, Sultana will be based in Malta and will continue to contribute to the sport through coaching and mentorship, drawing on the experience gained throughout her professional and international career to support the development of the next generation of athletes.
Sultana would like to formally acknowledge the support she has received throughout her career from the Maltese Olympic Committee, SportMalta, Malta Squash, Malta Sports Online, Tecnifibre Malta and Columbia University.
She also extends her appreciation to her family, coaches and the training programmes that have contributed to her development throughout her career, including Bradley Hindle, Millfield School Squash Academy, Inspired Peak Performance, Squash Xtreme and Paul Lake.