PETALING JAYA: There is good news for the national diving team. A total of 10 golds will be on offer at next year’s Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Earlier when Glasgow made its presentation to host the Games, it only offered to stage four events. But now it has included all the synchro disciplines – springboard and platform – as well as the individual events.
National diving head coach Yang Zhuliang is now optimistic of his charges returning with a better medal haul from the Games, which will be held from July 23-Aug 3.
The Malaysian divers bagged a gold, a silver and two bronzes for their best-ever outing in the Games history. Pandelela Rinong was the star of the team, winning the nation’s first-ever diving gold in the women’s 10m platform individual.
Pandelela also partnered Leong Mun Yee to win the silver in the 10m platform synchro while Bryan Nickson Lomas contributed two bronzes through the 10m platform and 3m springboard synchro with Yeoh Ken Nee.
But with a better depth in the team at his disposal now, Zhuliang believes Malaysia, who made a clean sweep of all the eight golds at the recent Myanmar SEA Games, are capable of breaking the dominance of the big three – Canada, Australia and England.
Zhuliang was pleased with the progress of several young divers, particularly debutants Nur Dhabitah Sabri and Muhd Nazreen Abdullah who were victorious at the Myanmar Games.
“With the emergence of good back-up divers, we now have more options in certain events. What is unique about the Commonwealth Games is that a nation can field a maximum of three divers for individual events. As for synchro events, a nation can field two pairs.
“We used to rely on the same divers in the last two editions, but it will no longer be the same for Glasgow.
“We can have two pairs in synchro events. For instance in the 10m platform synchro, we can enter Pandelela-Mun Yee as well as Traisy Vivien (Tukiet) with Dhabitah or (Loh) Zhiayi.
“The chances of winning more medals are certainly higher,” said Zhuliang.
A number of tournaments have been lined up for both the senior and back-up divers to fine-tune their dives before the Games.
Pandelela, Mun Yee, Cheong Jun Hoong, Wendy Ng Yan Yee, Ooi Tze Liang and Ahmad Amsyar Azman will all be competing in all the legs of the Diving World Series. The second stringers and juniors will also not be short of competitions.
Chew Yi Wei, Nazreen and Muhd Danial Sabri as well as Traisy, Dhabitah, Zhiayi, Kam Ling Kar, Jasmine Lai, Adeline Chin and Ng Zheng Ni will be sent to compete in Grand Prix tournaments as Amateur Swimming Union 0f Malaysia (ASUM) are planning to send them to compete in a few legs of the eight-leg series.
Malaysia are also hosting for the first time a Grand Prix meet in September.
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