Shock exit as Syafiq, Nurqayyum slip behind SEA Games rivals at worlds
PETALING JAYA: It was always going to be an uphill task for the Malaysian divers to get past the preliminary stage of the men's 3m springboard individual event at the World Championships.
But what came as a surprise was the failure of divers Mohd Syafiq Puteh and Nurqayyum Nazmi Mohd Nazim to outperform even their SEA Games rivals from Singapore and Thailand during the preliminaries at OCBC Aquatic Centre in Singapore yesterday.
Reigning SEA Games springbard champion Syafiq and Nurqayyum were placed 53rd and 54th respectively in the field of 65 participants.
Seasoned campaigner Syafiq faltered in his final two dives, scoring only 36.75 and 40.25 points. His total of 310.55 was well short of the mark needed to break into the top 20 and advance.
It was also a forgettable debut for World Junior Championship bronze medallist Nurqayyum who struggled to keep pace with the level of competition throughout.
The 19-year-old, who was competing on a lower difficulty standard compared to Syafiq, finished with 303.55 points.
Only the top 18 divers advance to the semi-finals. Technical director Yeoh Ken Nee did not expect the outcome. "The boys under-performed. They did not qualify if based on the Minimum Qualifying Score of 370," said Ken Nee.
He said the long waiting time before each dive may have also affected the composure of the divers.
"The waiting time was also longer than usual for this competition.
"Nurqayyum is competing for the first time in the world championships but Syafiq has featured a few times but this time, he did badly.
"We will sit down with the coaches and divers to understand more about the situation."
Singaporean youngster Avvir Tham, only 20, finished a commendable 22nd with a total of 363.90 points.
His teammate Max Lee, only 18, also showed hope for the future after placing 44th with a total of 32625 points.
Even Thai Chawanwat Juntaphadawon finished way above with 29th position, amassing 357.00 points.
It is certainly a confidence boost to Chawanwat as he gears up for the SEA Games in December at his own backyard.
South Korea, who are Malaysia's rival at the Asian level, also managed to get both divers into the semi-finals stage under the charge of former national diver Bryan Nickson Lomas.
Yi Jaegyeong and Shin Jung-whi finished 14th (384.10) and 17th (379.20) respectively.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
18 minutes ago
- The Star
PM hopes new OCM HQ will spur country to win first Olympic gold
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the groundbreaking ceremony of OCM Headquarters at Bukit Jalil. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants Malaysia to come home with at least one gold medal from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) headquarters in Bukit Jalil, Anwar said he hopes the development of the new facility will spur the country to get its first Olympic gold medal in Los Angeles. Anwar said the government has been supporting sports in the country through efforts from Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, as well as OCM president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria. "I think the government, through the Youth and Sports Ministry, has been very proactive and supportive. You have a good minister who has been harassing me for more money and more funds "With Hannah and Norza, everyone is now waiting and we expect one gold medal at least, otherwise they'll be in trouble," said Anwar in jest at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday. Anwar added that the new headquarters comes as a need to provide the 58 National Sports Associations (NSA) a place to gather and share knowledge to further enhance sports performance. Expected to cost RM103mil in total, the new Olympic House will be constructed in Bukit Jalil within the Kuala Lumpur Sports City, with the new building located next to the National Hockey Stadium. Norza had previously said that the main building is targeted to be done before the 2027 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games, but Anwar hopes the project can be completed ahead of its intended schedule. Meanwhile, Anwar also stressed the importance of sportsmanship, stressing that there is no room for hooliganism in sports at any level, particularly in football. "As I always tell my grandchildren in any sports they are involved in, especially when they get upset, that it's not the spirit. "You must try and excel to win, but must accept the fact that the best athlete will win and that's the spirit of sportsmanship. "That is why we take any issue of hooliganism or violence in sports seriously, particularly in football in this country. Everyone supports their team or their state, but that does not allow them to create chaos," he said. The new Olympic House is inspired by the one in Lausanne, Switzerland, and will replace OCM's current base at Jalan Hang Jebat.
New Straits Times
18 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
'Others must fight for world title, not just Aaron-Wooi Yik'
KUALA LUMPUR: Men's pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik won't be at the top forever and the others must step up. While Malaysia will continue to bank on former world champions and Olympic bronze medallists Aaron-Wooi Yik at the world meet on Aug 25-31 in Paris, Rexy Mainaky has urged their national teammates to share the responsibility in the fight for honours. The national doubles coaching director said while he still has much faith in world No. 2 Aaron-Wooi Yik, he wants the other BAM pairs — world No. 7 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and world No. 22 Wan Arif Junaidi-Yap Roy King — to aim for the title too. Malaysia are the only country with four pairs, including independents Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, the world No. 3, besides the three BAM pairs, at the World Championships. Rexy said it's not about Malaysia having the numbers, but more importantly, their players must have the champion's mindset. He feels that South Korea's world No. 1 Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae are still the favourites in Paris, even though they lost to Fajar Alfian-Shohibul Fikri in the China Open quarter-finals last month. The Indonesians went on to win the title, beating Aaron-Wooi Yik. "Aaron-Wooi Yik are not going to be champions forever. So, all our pairs must do their part to fight for the title at the World Championships," said Rexy. He said the fact that Won Ho-Seung Jae lost to Fajar-Shohibul at the China Open means the current level at the top is about the same. "We have four pairs, but this doesn't mean we will secure the title. It's not about the numbers nor the training alone. "It's the players' mindset — to ensure every detail including avoiding illness and injuries, diet, and proper rest — that will be crucial towards success in Paris." Rexy pointed out that Seung Jae and his former partner, Kang Min Hyuk, were rated as the best after winning the 2023 world title in Copenhagen, but their partnership broke up after they failed to win a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. "People used to say Min Hyuk-Seung Jae were the best, but what has happened now? They have been split and this shows nothing is permanent. "All our pairs are on equal terms with other top pairs and we have to be ready to battle with rivals from South Korea, China, Indonesia and Japan."
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Rexy believes all men's pairs at World C'ships evenly matched
Malaysia men's doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik in action against South Korea's Kim Young-hyuk-Wang Chan during the first round of Malaysian Masters at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil on Wednesday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star PETALING JAYA: There are no clear favourites in the men's doubles in the World Championships from Aug 25-31 in Paris. And national doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky believes that all the pairs competing in the world meet are evenly matched. Based on form so far this year, South Korea's world No. 1 Seo Seung-jae-Kim Won-ho and Malaysia's world No. 2 Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik are among the favourites for the title but Rexy is not counting out the other pairs. "No pair can win all the time. If you see in the China Open last month, Seung-jae-Won-ho and Aaron-Wooi Yik were beaten by Indonesia's scratch pair Fajar Alfian-Shohibul Fikri, who then won the title," said Rexy. "All the pairs have an equal chance to win the gold in the World Championships. It comes down to which pair prepares the best for the tournament." Rexy also pointed out that Seung-jae, who will be the defending champion after capturing the title in the last edition in 2023 in Copenhagen, was no longer playing together with his partner at that time Kang Min-hyuk - showing that no pair has managed to remain consistent. "When Seung-jae won the gold with Min-hyuk in 2023, everyone were saying they were very strong," said Rexy. "But now, they have split up. This shows that no pair can be very consistent. "For me, staying hungry is very important. Players need to have the hunger to keep winning." Rexy is hoping to guide one of the Malaysian pairs under him to the title. Besides Aaron-Wooi Yik, the other Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) pairs that have qualified for the prestigious meet are world No. 7 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and world No. 22 Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi. They will be joined by world No. 3 independent duo Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani. Rexy believes the pairs have to be diligent about not just their on-court preparations but also what they need to do off it to enhance their chances of success in Paris. "For me, it's not just about preparing on technique or strategy but staying healthy before the tournament is also very important," said Rexy. "Our players need to eat and sleep well. They have to warm up and cool down properly before and after training sessions and matches to avoid injuries."
