National Synchronised Swimming Team Going Great Guns

Story and photos by GRACE CHEN

THE 12 girls that make up the national synchronised swimming team come from all over Malaysia.

The stars, Shareen Png, 27, and Katrina Ann, 19, are from Sarawak and Selangor respectively. Fatin Syazwani, 14, the youngest member is from Negri Sembilan and Mandy Yeap, 22, who has been in the team since 2003, is from Penang.

Naturally, they have done a fair bit of globetrotting. Sisters Zyanne and Zylane Lee, aged 22 and 19 respectively, reveal that their passports bear stamps from China, Thailand, Egypt, Russia, Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Switzerland and India.

These girls are the fourth batch of synchronised swimmers to represent the nation since 2001, said Georgie Goh, 47, one of Bukit Jalil Sports School’s (BJSS) teachers.

Pro help: The team’s ‘secret weapon’ dancer, choreographer and actor Loh (in orange), is giving the team ballet and jazz lessons to enhance their stage presence.

The earlier batch, made up a solo and duet, was first formed in 1995. This was after the Canadians introduced the sport in 1992.

Jessie Wong and Jaclyn Chan became the first two Malaysians to represent the country at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

Today, Wong is a teacher in Sarawak while Chan runs the Rucksack Inn, a hotel in Singapore.

For the current team, foremost on everyone’s minds is how they will fare in the upcoming SEA Games this November.

“Our chances for gold in Palembang are very high,” said Long Yan, 38, the team’s coach.

In sync: Forming a pattern as part of their routine.

The Hubei native who had represented China at the Olympics in 1996 has been working with them since 2009.

Her predictions are based on the team’s performance at the World Championship last July in Shanghai where they finished 18th position.

Long, whose first task was to form the team when she came in, reveals that she had to recall two members.

Mandy Yeap was asked to rejoin after she left to mourn her father’s demise. By the time of her reappointment, she had bounced back and was ready to swim again.

Yeap was chosen for her technical experience as she had been training with the team since 2003.

Emanuelle Mah, 16, was also recalled. Mah who had left to nurse her injured ankle is the duet partner for Tasha Jane, 16, also from Penang. Mah’s winning point are in her toe curls.

“Choices were limited because there are not many synchronised swimmers in Malaysia. Training a new member would take too long and we needed strong members for the team,” explained Long.

Flying high: Up in the air! Aerial acrobatics like these are part of the team’s routine.

In addition, a ‘secret weapon’ in the form of Loh Wei Jun, 33, dancer, choreographer and actor has been roped in to help the team with performance and stage presence.

“Synchronised swimming is like dancing in water and my role is to add some pizzazz and expression to their routine.

“At the moment the girls are attending ballet and jazz lessons to help them achieve beautiful and elongated lines for added drama and depth,” said Loh, a Boh Cameronian award winner.

Camaraderie-wise, the girls have achieved a cohesive understanding.

“We do not scold each other when something goes wrong. That is the coach’s job. Among us, we thrive on suggestions, not criticism.

“If something goes wrong in a routine, we discuss it when we come out of the pool,” says Zyanne, a petrol chemistry student.

Describing the girls as a focused lot, Loh who has been working with the team for a month now said that the winning formula lies in a good performance.

Currently, the girls train daily from 7am to 8.30am and 3pm to 7pm. To maintain fitness, they jog and undergo core strength exercises with their coach.

For motivation, psychologists from the council take them through visualisation and relaxation techniques.