Beijing-born swimmer Shannon hopes to represent Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: A Beijing-born teenager hopes to splash her way into the Malaysian swimming team.
Shannon Tan, 15, shone at the recent Malaysia Open in Bukit Jalil, surpassing the Thailand Sea Games Category B qualifying mark of 5:13.05 (400m individual medley). She clocked 5 minutes 11.46 seconds to finish second.
Malaysia Aquatics had said it would select swimmers for the Sea Games based on performances at the Malaysia Open.
This has put Shannon in contention to represent the birth country of her parents though she is not part of Malaysia's national back-up squad,
Shannon lives in Shanghai with her parents, William Tan and Lydia Lim, both corporate executives who have resided in China for the past 22 years.
"I was really surprised and happy when I found out I had met the Sea Games Category B cut," Shannon told Timesport.
Despite living abroad for more than two decades, Lydia said she and her husband remain proud Malaysians.
"We try to bring Shannon home as often as we can, so she can compete in local meets," said Lydia.
"She has cousins in Selangor, which is why she represents Selangor when competing here. Prior to the Malaysia Open, she participated in the Malaysia International Age Group Championships in February."
Shannon, who enjoys baking and listening to music, learned to swim at the age of six.
"When I first started swimming, it was purely for fun — not to compete. At eight, I gradually began entering larger meets through my school," she said.
"I train in Shanghai with my school team. I also have additional training sessions arranged by my coaches and teachers to help balance my academics with swimming.
"I would love to join the Malaysian swim team if picked. I believe I still have plenty of room for growth."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Brazil-born Figueiredo thrilled by reception from Malaysian fans
KUALA LUMPUR: The man from the Western Hemisphere will never forget his Malaysia debut. Joao Figueiredo scored a goal against Vietnam and was named Man of the Match in an Asian Cup qualifier at the National Stadium yesterday. The 29-year-old proved to be a life wire for Malaysia upfront with his tremendous work-rate, and sparked a 4-0 win over Vietnam in their Group F match. The Brazil-born striker, who currently plays for Turkish club, Istanbul Basakşehir, was delighted with the reception from Malaysian fans at Bukit Jalil. He described it as "unforgettable". "I'm very happy, I've dreamt of this moment for a long time, but the most important thing was not my goal, it was to win, to follow our target. Our team performance was very good, but we can improve. I'm very happy to be here, I'm very proud," said Figueiredo. "From day one, I've been warmly welcomed by everyone here. Playing in front of more than 60,000 fans at the stadium was an incredible experience. Bukit Jalil will always be in my memory. "We've only been together for two weeks, but I believe we'll grow stronger from here. This is only the first step," added Figueiredo, who helped Malaysia end a 11-year winless run against Vietnam.
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Argentina-born Holgado sheds blood for Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: New heritage player Rodrigo Holgado literally shed blood for Malaysia in an Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam yesterday. The Argentina-born striker suffered a bloody cut on the back of his head in Malaysia's spectacular 4-0 triumph over the Red Star Warriors at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil. After a clash with a Vietnam player, Holgado had blood stains on his jersey. Holgado also had a memorable debut for Malaysia, scoring a goal against a team deemed as the strongest in Southeast Asia. Blood and a goal, that was Holgado's answer to those critics who have questioned the commitment and quality of heritage players. Holgado said he was pleased with his performance for Malaysia. After having played his part in putting Harimau Malaya on top of Group F (with six points from two matches) and in a strong position to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup, he has to quickly return to his Colombian club, America de Cali.
New Straits Times
11 hours ago
- New Straits Times
We can't fund everything, choose tournaments carefully, Yeoh tells NSAs
KUALA LUMPUR: The fate of the Malaysia Cup squash tournament, scheduled for Aug 17-23 this year, remains uncertain as the organisers are struggling to raise funds to host the event. Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh stressed that the government has limitations when it comes to helping fund the organisation of local tournaments and urged national sports associations (NSAs) to pick and choose their events wisely. "We always want to try our best to assist, however, we feel that associations also have to play their part," said Yeoh yesterday (June 10). "The association must clearly plan how many events they want to do each year and determine which one is their priority. "We have been supporting squash for other tournaments." Yeoh, however, urged the organisers of the Malaysia Cup to speak to the ministry's secretariat for possible assistance. "We have matching grants (to support the organisation of events) but it does not cover 100 per cent of the costs involved to organise the event," she added. "It is a 50-50 split which means both the government and association must play their part. "With every grant there are papers you have to submit (which takes time to process and approve). I am not sure if there is enough time. "These are all logistical challenges. If they speak to our secretariat, I know our secretary-general (Dr K. Nagulendran) will try his best to help them." PSA have given ACE Sports and Management - organisers of the Malaysia Cup - until the end of next month to secure sponsorship. They need roughly RM1.5 million to run the event. The Ministry's Sports Matching Grant programme offers grants of up to 50 per cent of the costs to organise an event, with a ceiling of RM1 million. The Malaysia Cup, formerly known as the Malaysia Open, was first held in 1975. It is one of two major tournaments held in Malaysia over the years, alongside the Kuala Lumpur Open. The Malaysia Cup competition, which has been held at The Curve, Mutiara Damansara since 2007, has played an important role in aiding the development of Malaysian players over the years. It is seen as an important tournament to help boost Malaysia's preparations for an assault on the podium at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, when squash will make its Olympic debut. Squash legend Datuk Nicol David has won the tournament a total of eight times. Malaysia's current top players Ng Eain Yow and S. Sivasangari have also won the tournament previously.
