Huang Qiang: I Want To Stay On As An Athlete Or Coach, If Offer Is Right

An act of appreciation: Pandelela Rinong posing for photographs during the presentation of two Chevrolet Captiva sports utility vehicles to the national diving team at the Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil yesterday. — S. S. KANESAN / The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Huang Qiang is prepared to dive on for Malaysia despite having returned to coaching but he is in the dark as to his future in his adopted country.

Huang Qiang’s contract with the National Sports Council (NSC) expires in December but he has yet to receive any indication of an extension.

The 30-year-old from China, who married a Malaysian a few years ago but only obtained his citizenship in July 2011, came out of retirement to dive for the country early this year. He made an immediate impact with Bryan Nickson Lomas in the 3m springboard synchro.

Huang Qiang and Bryan clinched bronze in the Diving World Cup in London in February to become the first Malaysian pair to qualify for the synchro discipline in the Olympics.

They followed up with back-to-back titles at the Canada and United States Grand Prix legs but failed to shine at the London Olympics in August, finishing last among the eight pairs.

Huang Qiang, a former World Cup winner and national champion of China, said he stopped training after the London Games.

“NSC asked me to choose between being an athlete and a coach. I opted for coaching for a better income as I have a family now. But I’m not sure if I will be coaching here next year as I haven’t heard anything from NSC,” said Huang Qiang on the sidelines after the presentation of two Chevrolet Captiva sport utility vehicles to the national diving team.

Huang Qiang did not deny that he has received offers from a few countries but insisted he is keen to remain in Malaysia where he has lived since 2007.

“Of course I want to stay, either as an athlete or coach, if the offer is right,” he said. “If my heart wasn’t in Malaysia I wouldn’t have continued for so long. I believe I can still compete until the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games in 2014 or even the next Olympics in Rio de Janeiro if the situation warrants it but NSC have to let me know early.

“It’s not a problem for me to train and coach at the same time if some sort of arrangement can be reached like what I did for the London Olympics.”

Meanwhile, senior vice president of Group 4 Wheels Motor Datuk Maruan Mohd Said said the two Chevrolet Captiva SUVs were presented in appreciation of the diving team’s excellent performances.