Latest news with #MalaysiaAquatics
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Wake-up call from Singapore for Malaysian diving
KUALA LUMPUR: Have Singapore overtaken Malaysia in women's diving? It appears so after Malaysia's Sea Games champion Lee Yiat Qing failed to qualify for the women's 10m platform semi-finals at the World Aquatics Championships at the OCBC Aquatic Centre in Singapore on Wednesday. The 17-year-old Yiat Qing recorded 240.20 points from six dives to end up 29th out of 37 competitors in the preliminary round. Italy's Sarah Jodoin Di Maria claimed the final semi-final spot after finishing 18th with 267.85. Here is the worry. It's not just about missing the semi-finals. It's a sign that Malaysia's women's diving — which has delivered gold at World Championships level and Olympic medals — has been deteriorating, and now probably behind Singapore. At the world meet, Singapore's Ainslee Kwang came in 13th with 285 points, 16 places above Yiat Qing. Ironically, Malaysian Olympian Wendy Ng is linked with the rise of Singapore as she has been in charge of talent development there since January. South Korea, who have Malaysian Olympian Bryan Nickson Lomas among their coaching staff, saw their diver, Moon Nayun, finish 14th, ahead of Yiat Qing with 280 points. An inconsistent Yiat Qing registered scores of 67.50, 33.35, 33.75, 68.80 and 36.80. Malaysia Aquatics diving technical director Yeoh Ken Nee described Yiat Qing's performance as "mixed", but said it was a valuable experience for her. "She had a few good dives today and some not so good, it was a mixed performance. "This is her first World Championships, and she needs more exposure at this level. We're also using this to assess her ahead of the 2026 Asian Games," said Ken Nee. Earlier in the week, veteran Pandelela Rinong withdrew from the 10m synchro — she partnered Yiat Qing — due to injury after just two dives. She pulled out from the individual event later. In swimming, Jayden Tan clocked a season's best of 2 minutes 07.07 seconds to finish ninth in Heat 2 of the men's 200m individual medley — slightly faster than the 2:07.11 he recorded at the World University Games in Berlin two weeks ago. "I'd rate it eight out of 10. We only arrived from Berlin a few days ago, and we're still a bit jet-lagged — but that's no excuse. "My backstroke needs improvement, it's always been my weakest stroke," he said. Khiew Hoe Yean posted 50.77s in the 100m freestyle to finish seventh in Heat 8. He and Jayden failed to progress to the next round.
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Injury puts Pandelela's individual event hopes in doubt
KUALA LUMPUR: It remains unknown whether two-time Olympic medallist Pandelela Rinong can compete in the women's 10m platform individual diving event at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore tomorrow (July 30). Pandelela and partner Lee Yiat Qing were forced to withdraw from the women's 10m platform synchronised event preliminaries after just two dives yesterday (July 28) due to an injury suffered by Pandelela. Malaysia Aquatics diving technical director Yeoh Ken Nee said Pandelela's condition will be assessed prior to the individual event. "Unfortunately, Pandelela injured her shoulder during the warm-up for the competition today (July 28)," said Ken Nee last night. "We will have to wait and see how her shoulder is before we decide if she is able to continue and compete in the individual event on July 30th (tomorrow). "At the moment we are leaving it to the physio (to treat her)." It is understood that Pandelela had injured her shoulder last month but had been able to manage the injury through physiotherapy. The 32-year-old, however, tweaked her shoulder again during the warm-up for the 10m platform synchronised event yesterday. Pandelela had competed alongside Yiat Qing, Elvis Clement and Enrique Harold in the mixed 3m and 10m team event on Saturday (July 26), finishing 16th from 21 teams. Ken Nee said he was pleased with the performances of the younger divers in the squad. "Our young divers have done their best in this World Championships. They are still gaining experience so results-wise, we have to be patient," said Ken Nee. Elvis-Enrique will take to the pool for the men's 10m platform synchronised event later today.
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Hoe Yean clocks season's best at World Championships
KUALA LUMPUR: Swimmer Khiew Hoe Yean bounced back strong after battling jet lag on the opening day but injuries hampered other senior Malaysian athletes at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore today (July 28). Hoe Yean clocked a season's best one minute and 48.10 seconds to place 31st overall from 59 swimmers in the men's 200 metre freestyle preliminaries, bettering the 1:48.68s he clocked at the World University Games in Berlin earlier this month. The time, however, was not enough to see him make the top-16 cut for the semi-finals at the OCBC Aquatics Centre. Welson Sim's 1:47.36s from 2017 remains the Malaysian national record in the event. A travel-fatigued Hoe Yean, who arrived in Singapore from Berlin late on Saturday, placed 28th in the 400m freestyle preliminaries yesterday on 3:51.11s which was some way off the 3:47.38s (national record) he clocked en route to silver at WUG. Phee Jinq En opted to sit out the women's 100m breaststroke event today due to a hip issue. She is scheduled to compete in the 50m breaststroke on Sunday (Aug 2). Malaysia Aquatics secretary-general Andy Low said: "She has a slight injury but is preparing for her favourite 50m (breastrstroke) event later this week," said Andy when contacted today. In diving, Nurqayyum Nazim-Yong Rui Jie settled for 21st from 26 pairs in the men's 3m springboard synchronised preliminaries. The duo's routines scored 44.40, 42.00, 57.60, 66.96, 56.10 and 35.70 for a 302.76 total. Only the top-eight pairs made the cut for the final. Luck was not on Pandelela Rinong-Lee Yiat Qing's side in the women's 10m platform synchronised as they were forced to withdraw after scoring 43.80 and 43.20 in the first two dives due to an injury sustained by Pandelela. It is understood that Pandelela had tweaked her shoulder and withdrew as a precautionary measure. The 32-year-old is scheduled to compete in the 10m platform individual event on Wednesday. Pandelela, Yiat Qing, Elvis Clement and Enrique Harold had competed in the mixed 3m and 10m team event on Saturday, finishing 16th from 21 teams. Hoe Yean will next compete in the men's 800m freestyle while Andrew Goh will see action in the men's 50m breaststroke tomorrow. Elvis-Enrique will take to the pool for the men's 10m platform synchronised event tomorrow.
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
BAM must not let badminton end up like diving
MALAYSIAN badminton is not in crisis — not yet. With stars like former world cham pions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Lee Zii Jia, Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei and Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai still competing — and often winning — on the BWF World Tour, the sport remains in good hands. At least until the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. In fact, Malaysia may even crown a second world champion in Paris next month. But it would be dangerously naive to believe the current wave of success will last forever. Because this is exactly where diving stood just a few years ago, before it plummeted. There was a time when Malaysian divers were contenders on the world stage. Pandelela Rinong's Olympic bronze in London 2012, multiple World Championship medals, and a string of podiums at the Commonwealth and Asian Games marked a golden era. She was not alone. Cheong Jun Hoong stunned China's elite to win Malaysia's first world title in 2017 in Budapest, a year after winning diving's first Olympic silver (with Pandelela) for Malaysia at the Rio Games. It looked like the country might finally win their first Olympic gold in diving, not in badminton. Nur Dhabitah Sabri, Wendy Ng and Leong Mun Yee helped establish Malaysia as a regional powerhouse. Fast forward to 2025, and the national diving team are competing in the ongoing World Aquatics Championships in Singapore with no real expectations. No buzz, no form and crucially, no medal hopes. The dive has been steep, brutal, and completely avoidable. This scribe, along with others in the sporting fraternity, raised the alarm years ago. Concerns about stagnation, over-reliance on ageing stars, and a lack of succession planning were brushed aside. Malaysia Aquatics failed to heed those warnings. They did not hire top-level coaches after Yang Zhuliang's contract was not renewed in 2017 — a pivotal mistake. Worse, insiders whispered that some divers were calling the shots in the national set-up. When athletes dictate policy, disaster is inevitable. The same names were recycled for major events while juniors sat idle. Grooming the next generation became an afterthought. By the time Malaysia Aquatics began revival initiatives, it was already too late. The system had stopped producing, the decline had begun, and the damage was done. Diving now finds itself gasping for air, clinging to memories of past glories. It is the latest cautionary tale in Malaysian sport, and one badminton must learn from before it's too late. Right now, badminton looks fine on paper. The senior ranks remain competitive. Pearly-Thinaah and Aaron-Wooi Yik will likely be Olympic medal contenders at LA28. Tang Jie-Ee Wei are rising stars. Zii Jia, inconsistent as he is, remains a top draw. And the BA of Malaysia's (BAM) system is still envied in the region. But cracks are starting to show — if you're paying attention. Malaysia failed to win a single medal at the recent Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Indonesia. Once a rich breeding ground for elite players, our juniors are now being outclassed by the likes of India, Japan, Thailand and even Taiwan — nations that once looked up to us. They weren't just beaten — they were outthought, outplayed and outworked. This isn't just about one tournament. It reflects a deeper issue in our development pipeline. Where is the next Zii Jia? The next Aaron-Wooi Yik? If BAM doesn't have those answers now, they may be forced to confront the same hard truths Malaysia Aquatics is struggling with today. This is the time for BAM to act, not to wait. Waiting for the seniors to decline before addressing structural issues is the very mistake that sank diving. The badminton system must evolve fast. It needs to constantly regenerate talent. That means more international exposure for juniors, stronger local competitions, better coaching at the grassroots, and support for clubs nationwide. It also means making hard calls, recognising when older players are blocking progress. Less politics. More planning. Less nostalgia. More foresight. Malaysia's sporting graveyard is filled with once-great disciplines undone by complacency. Field hockey was once among the world's best — now Malaysia are struggling in Asia and not producing top quality players. The Malaysian Hockey Confederation may say it has around 5,000 up-and-coming players nationwide produced through its development initiatives. However, most go "missing"' even before they reach senior ranks or are not up to the mark. Athletics produced legends like Rabuan Pit and Samson Vallabouy. Now they're footnotes. Reminders of what happens when ambition is replaced by comfort. Diving is merely the latest casualty. Pandelela and Dhabitah gave everything to the sport. They carried Malaysian diving for over a decade. But the burden was never meant to be theirs alone. Like Jun Hoong, who retired after Tokyo 2021 when the National Sports Council pulled her funding, they deserved a system that could take over. They didn't get it. Now, diving is stuck in denial, trying to defend the indefensible. Let's not wait for badminton to arrive at the same place. BAM still has time. But the window is narrowing. The rest of the world isn't waiting. This scribe hopes BAM listens. Because Malaysia Aquatics didn't, and it is paying the price. Without a plan, no athlete can carry a sport forever. Badminton doesn't need to dive — but it could, if we aren't careful.
New Straits Times
24-07-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Singapore splash to set the tone for SEA Games push
KUALA LUMPUR: The World Aquatics Championships in Singapore (July 27-Aug 3) will be a key test for the national swimmers as they gear up for the year-end SEA Games in Thailand. Former SEA Games champion Nurul Huda Abdullah, now Malaysia Aquatics (MAS) honorary assistant secretary and swimming committee co-chair, described the Singapore meet as a crucial part of final preparations. The national swimmers head into the championships fresh from competing at the World University Games (WUG) in Berlin, which wraps up just days before the Singapore event. "The SEA Games remain our top priority, but the World Championships are an important stepping stone," said Nurul Huda. "This back-to-back competition window offers a valuable learning curve. "It's a chance to see if our swimmers can maintain top-level performances in quick succession - a skill that will be vital as we enter the final stretch before December." At the Universiade, Khiew Hoe Yean shattered his own national record in the 400m freestyle, clocking 3:47.38s to eclipse the 3:48.36 mark he set last year. "Hoe Yean's time is encouraging — not only is it the fastest in Southeast Asia this year, it's the quickest ever recorded by a swimmer from the region," she added. While Nurul Huda is pleased with recent signs of progress, she stressed that there's still work to be done. "We've seen promising results, but there's no room for complacency. If we want success at the SEA Games, we must remain disciplined and focused right through to December." The squad: Khiew Hoe Yean (men's 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle), Andrew Goh (50m and 100m breaststroke), Bryan Leong (50m, 100m butterfly), Tan Khai Xin (200m and 400m individual medley) and Arvin Shaun Singh Chahal (4x 200m freestyle relay and 4x100 medley relay) and Phee Jinq En (women's 50m and 100m breaststroke).
