KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 -- Ipoh-born squash prodigy Jinoreeka Ning Manivannan is away from school most of the time, smashing her way to victory in squash courts.

Yet, the Form Three student at Ipoh's Methodist Girls' School excels on both fronts - largely thanks to online guidance.

Her father Manivannan Ramasamy, 54, spends RM1,000 every month to provide her with online tuition so that she can keep pace with her peers and excel academically.

But he spends at least seven to eight times more than that every month to support his daughter's squash dreams.

Despite not having a formal coach, Jinoreeka is now a rising force in the junior squash circuit - thanks to a training programme designed by Egypt's squash legend Omar Abdel Aziz.

Since 2...