MAS downplays Sea Games medal chances as swimming revamp continues

New Straits Times

2 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will once again be depending on Khiew Hoe Yean to deliver gold at the Thailand Sea Games (Dec 9-20) as it could take up to a decade to revamp Malaysian swimming, says the national body.
Malaysia Aquatics (MAS) deputy president Marilyn Chua said besides Hoe Yean, Malaysia also has a podium shot in the men's 4 x 200m freestyle and women's 4 x 100m medley relays but admitted it will be tough to win gold in other individual events.
Hoe Yean won the men's 200m freestyle gold at both the 2021 Hanoi and 2023 Phnom Penh Sea Games. They were the only gold Malaysia won in swimming at both editions.
The 22-year-old has been in record breaking form this season - he won silver at the World University Games in Berlin last month - and is expected to be a contender in both the 200m and 400m freestyle events in Thailand.
"Hoe Yean is our key swimmer and we are definitely depending on him to win gold in Thailand but we are also hoping for some podium finishes in the relays," said Marilyn when met at the Sea Games selection committee meeting at Wisma OCM here today (Aug 12).
"(Besides Hoe Yean) I would say it is going to be a challenge to win (other individual event) gold but we are definitely aiming for the podium.
"The new (MAS) committee came on board two years ago but there is not much we can do with what we have right now.
"With our new coaches, we are doing the best we can with this batch of swimmers.
"We had to revamp and start (development) from scratch again. It is a long-term process which we hope will bear fruit within eight to 10 years.
"The goal is to have greater strength in depth and not have to depend on just one swimmer to win gold for us."
Malaysian swimming and diving have both suffered a significant decline in performance over the past decade.
This prompted a change in leadership in 2023 which saw big names such as Marilyn, Nurul Huda Abdullah and Andy Low, among others, coming into the MAS committee with a goal of reviving Malaysian aquatic sports.
They restructured the national programmes for both disciplines, appointing technical directors for both and also hired new foreign and local coaches to boost development of new talent.
MAS will be sending a big contingent to the Thailand Sea Games which comprises 27 swimmers (11 category A, 16 category B), six divers ( 3 A, 3 B), 17 artistic swimmers (all B), 14 water polo players (all B) and five open water swimmers (all B).
Category A athletes' competition expenses are covered by the government while category B athletes must pay out of their own pockets but will be reimbursed if they win a medal.
MAS have opted to send mostly junior divers to Thailand. The six selected are Syafiq Puteh, Nurqayyum Nazim, Yong Rui Jie and Elvis Clement, Nur Eilisha Rania and Nurul Farisya Alia Affendi.
A total of four gold medals will be on offer in diving at the Thailand Sea Games in the men's 3 metre springboard individual and synchronised, men's 1m springboard individual as well as the women's platform synchronised.