Cost-cutting Exercise Makes Fakhrul And Amsyar Lose Place To World Aquatic Meet

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian diving team for the World Aquatic Championships starting in Shanghai tomorrow have been trimmed to eight members as back-up divers Mohd Fakhrul Izzat and Ahmad Amsyar became casualties of a cost-cutting exercise.

Laos SEA Games medallists Fakhrul and Amsyar were training together in Dali with the rest of the World Championships-bound squad for the past one month but are now back in Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur as they did not get the nod from the National Sports Council (NSC).

Diving head coach Yang Zhuliang had planned to enter the duo for the men’s 1m springboard individual as well as the 3m springboard synchronised events.

Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (ASUM) secretary Edwin Chong said NSC wanted them to focus on the Olympic events instead.

“The World Championships this time is an Olympic qualifying event and the priority for the coach is to work on getting our divers to qualify from here.

“The 1m springboard is not an Olympic event and we will probably not have any divers this time. Fakhrul and Amsyar, however, will still benefit from the training in China as we have to get ready for the Indonesia SEA Games at the end of the year,” said Edwin.

The diving team for the world meet now consist of three men (Bryan Nickson Lomas, Yeoh Ken Nee and Ooi Tze Liang) and five women (Pandelela Rinong, Leong Mun Yee, Traise Vivien, Cheong Jun Hoong and Wendy Ng Yan Yee).

The divers, accompanied by three coaches, arrived in Shanghai two days ago and are scheduled to have three days of practice in the competition pool.

“The coach did not report any injuries and they should have enough time to get themselves used to the outdoor pool.”

Pandelela and Mun Yee were the toast of the country when they made history with a bronze in the women’s 10m platform synchronised final at the last world championships in Rome two years ago. It was the country’s first medal in aquatics in the world championships.

Pandelela also finished fifth in the 10m platform individual, the best-ever placing by a Malaysian woman diver at the world championships.

Besides diving, Malaysia will be represented in swimming and synchronised swimming as well.

The swimmers who made the cut this time are Khoo Cai Lin (women’s 400m freestyle), Chan Kah Yan (women’s 50m backstroke), Christina Loh (women’s 50m breaststroke), Chui Lai Kwan (women’s 50m freestyle) and Kevin Yeap (men’s 800m freestyle).

The synchronised swimmers entered for the team discipline for the first time are Katrina Ann Hadi, Lee Yhing Huey, Xyanne Lee, Tan May Mei, Mandy Yeap, Yeo Pei Ling, Emanuelle Mah, Shareen Png and Tasha Jane.