Swimmers Gearing Up For Asiad Too In New Delhi

THE divers look set to make a bigger splash in New Delhi this time and even a historic gold is within reach if world championships bronze medallists Pandelela Rinong and Leong Mun Yee rise to the occasion in the 10m platform synchronised event.

But it will be a quieter Games for the swimmers.

Even the likes of multiple SEA Games gold medallist Daniel Bego and Khoo Cai Lin, who are the only ones to beat the qualifying times, will find it very difficult to keep pace in a world-class competition.

The swimming competition has not seen a massive withdrawal of the big names unlike in athletics.

The pool at the Dr S.P. Murkhejee Stadium will be aplenty with Olympians and world record holders.

The Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (Asum) secretary, Edwin Chong, said that for swimmers like Daniel and Cai Lin, the Commonwealth Games competitions were part of a run-up to the Guangzhou Asian Games in November.

“We can look at Daniel and Cai Lin to qualify for the finals in their events. “That will already be a big achievement for them,” he said.

“Daniel, for example, came back to train only in the second half of the year because he was preparing for the A-level exams and it would be too much to put a target to deliver.

“With two big Games being so close to each other, we have no choice but to focus on one for the swimmers to peak.”

Malaysia enjoyed their best achievement in swimming in the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester through Alex Lim Keng Liat, who delivered a silver in the 50m backstroke and a bronze in the 100m backstroke.