PETALING JAYA: Some time off during the off-season was very much needed for national squash player Sanjay Jeeva, but he is now ready to kick things into gear.

With the National Championships in Penang starting next week from Aug 13-17, Sanjay is eager to get things going for the new season, but is glad to have spent time at home.

“The off-season was very much needed. I was happy to be able to spend time at home with the whole family,” said world No. 68 Sanjay.

Since moving to England last year, the 26-year-old Sanjay has been training hard in England with coach Rob Owen at the University of Birmingham.

The training paid off as Sanjay rose to a career-high ranking of No. 58 in March, after he reached the semi-finals of the Goodfellow Classic in Toronto in February.

Sanjay then made it to the New Zealand Open quarter-finals the following month, but was denied progress by compatriot and national No. 1 Ng Eain Yow.

Competing in his second National Championships, Sanjay is hoping the start to his season will go smoothly, as his aim to break into the top 50 remains.

“I’ll be competing in my second national championship this year, and I have been preparing back in England with coach Owen.

“It’s been going well and I’m excited to be back and competing. I’m hoping to have a good start to my season,” he said.

After the New Zealand Open, the next few tournaments ended in the early rounds for Sanjay.

His campaign at the Asian Championships in Sarawak came to an end in the third round after falling to Hong Kong’s Wong Chi Him in June.

In the doubles, he finished in fifth place with teammate C. Ameeshenraj.

Sanjay will be hoping to get a fresh start in Penang next week, and it will be his best shot at taking the title as Eain Yow is not competing.