No Grand Finale For Pandelela

PETALING JAYA: London Olympics diving bronze medallist Pandelela Rinong will not have the chance to bring her year to a smashing close as she is out of the Asian Swimming Cham­pion­ships in Dubai next week.

Diving head coach Yang Zhuliang has decided to leave Pandelela, who is nursing a left ankle injury, out of the squad for the meet.

Also omitted are seniors Leong Mun Yee and Bryan Nickson Lomas, who are in the midst of preparing for their university exams.

Pandelela was to compete in the women’s 10m platform while Mun Yee was slated to partner her in the synchro. Bryan was to compete in the men’s 10m platform.

Pandelela and Bryan will have to wait until 2016 to get a chance to win an Asian championships medal as the meet is held every four years.

“I don’t want to risk Pandelela ... it’s better to let her rest fully. The Asian championships are important but the bigger priority was the Olympics and she achieved the goal of getting a medal for Malaysia.

”Mun Yee also has a slight ankle injury and she has to catch up with her studies. Bryan has to sit for exams at UM (Universiti Malaya) this month and has not had much time to train,” said Zhuliang.

In their absence, Malaysia will be represented by a five-member squad. The men are Ooi Tze Liang and Chew Yiwei (men’s platform and springboard) while the women are Beijing Olympians Cheong Jun Hoong and Wendy Ng Yan Yee along with youngster Loh Zhiayi.

The 15-year-old Zhiayi, who finished fifth in the World Junior Championships in Adelaide in the platform, will be making her debut in the meet along with Yiwei.

Zhuliang will now be banking on the seniors like Jun Hoong and Wendy to bring home a medal.

“They will only focus on the individual springboard. They are not competing in the springboard synchro as they haven’t been partnered before this.

”I hope we can get one medal but it will be tough without our best divers.

“China are sending their top team as they want to make sure they get all the gold medals. Japan, South Korea and North Korea will also have their Olympic divers there to fight for the lesser medals.”

Malaysia will also compete in swimming and synchro swimming in the championships from Nov 15-18. Water polo will be from Nov 19-25 followed by diving from Nov 22-25.

Swimming: Yap See Tuan, Kevin Yeap, Khoo Cai Lin.

Diving: Ooi Tze Liang, Chew Yiwei, Wendy Ng Yan Yee, Cheong Jun Hoong, Loh Zhiayi.

Synchro swimming: Zylane Lee, Zyanne Lee.