Zheng Ni And Zheng Hao All Set For Big Stage

Super siblings: Ng Zheng Ni (left) and her brother Ng Zheng Hao showing off their medals after winning all their events at the national age-group diving championships at the Negri Sembilan Aquatic Centre in Paroi yesterday.

SEREMBAN: Having conquered all the age-group competitions in the country this year, the Ng siblings – Zheng Hao and Zheng Ni – of Selangor are setting their sights on representing the country in the future.

The duo achieved their mission of making a sweep of all the events they entered for in the national age-group diving championships, which ended at the Negri Sembilan Aquatic Centre in Paroi yesterday. Fourteen-year-old Zheng Hao bagged the two springboard gold medals in the boys’ Group B category. He fended off a strong challenge from Uzbekistan’s Botirov Doston to emerge champion in the 1m springboard with 302.40 points. Botirov got the silver with a 299.75 total.

Zheng Hao was also in commanding form in the 3m springboard, garnering 370.85 points to beat Tri Anggoro of Indonesia (338 points). Kuala Lumpur’s Mohd Nazreen Abdullah took the bronze with a 332.15 total.

Younger sister Zheng Ni showed why she was invited to join the national back-up squad in Bukit Jalil in January this year by pulling off a clean sweep of the three disciplines at stake. She chalked up 264.70 points to win the Group C 1m springboard with Megan Elizabeth Teoh taking the silver with 232.65 points.

Zheng Ni then amassed 279.75 points to fend off a strong challenge from Megan to win the 3m springboard. Megan scored a 266.65 total.

Megan was again unable to get the better of Zheng Ni in the platform event as well, finishing with 195.55 points as her rival came out tops after the fifth and final dive with a 223.50 total. The duo had achieved a sweep of the 1m and 3m springboard titles at the MSSM (national schools) Championships in Shah Alam last month.

Zheng Ni, who picked up diving a year after her brother started in 2008, was delighted to have bagged all three golds at stake.

“I entered for the national age-group for the first time last year and got three bronze medals. I am happy to show so much improvement and I hope to maintain this performance next year.

“I have yet to go for an overseas competition as I am still new. I have to work harder to improve to get a chance,” said Zheng Ni, who trains under Chinese coach Yao Fuling at Bukit Jalil and is inspired by what Pandelela Rinong has done for Malaysian diving.

Zheng Ni wasn’t the only Malaysian to finish with a three-gold sweep as KL’s Hanis Nazirul Jayasurya also accomplished the same feat in the boys’ Group C categories.

Besides Malaysia, Japan, Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore and Uzbekistan also competed in the championships.

RESULTS

BOYS

Group A

1m springboard: 1. Timothy Lee (Sin) 430.00, 2. Carlsyle Chan (Swk) 427.75, 3. Mohd Danial Sabri (Kul) 397.05. 

3m springboard: 1. Mohd Danial Sabri (Kul) 459.20, 2. Timothy Lee (Sin) 447.35, 3. Carlsyle Chan (Swk) 441.25. 

Platform: 1. Chiaki Otsuka (Jpn) 471.60, 2. Jonathan Chan (Sin) 409.30, 3. Taichi Okajima (Jpn) 398.95.

Group B

1m springboard: 1. Ng Zheng Hao (Sel) 302.40, 2. Botirov Doston (Uzb) 299.75, 3. Ten Ulyan (Uzb) 265.45.3m springboard: 1. Ng Zheng Hao (Sel) 370.85, 2. Tri Anggoro (Ina) 338.00, 3. Mohd Nazreen Abdullah (Kul) 332.15. 

Platform: 1. Botirov Doston (Uzb) 282.90, 2. Ten Ulyan (Uzb) 219.70, 3. Mirkarimov Mirzokhid (Uzb) 217.10.

Group C

1m springboard: 1. Hanis Nazirul Jayasurya (Kul) 315.10, 2. Ikhlas Ahmad (Sel) 263.50, 3. Jellson Jabillin (Sab) 250.50. 

3m springboard: 1. Hanis Nazirul Jayasurya (Kul) 338.70, 2. Farez Izzudin Suhaimi (Sel) 285.60, 3. Ikhlas Ahmad (Sel) 279.15.Platform: 1. Hanis Nazirul Jayasurya (Kul) 286.10, 2. Jellson Jabillin (Sab) 240.15, 3. Mohd Syahmi Mohd Rezal (Sel) 210.75.

GIRLS

Group A

1m springboard: 1. Jasmine Lai (Prk) 363.75, 2. Kam Ling Kar (Prk) 352.00, 3. Lo I Teng (Mac) 325.55.3m sprinngboard: 1. Lo I Teng (Mac) 373.80, 2. Haruka Enomoto (Jpn) 367.55, 3. Fong Kay Yian (Sin) 359.90.
Platform: 1. Lo I Teng (Mac) 333.50, 2. Amiraslanova Kristina (Uzb) 238.90, 3. Kimberly Chan (Sin) 234.45.

Group B

1m springboard: 1. Hana Kaneto (Jpn) 321.70, 2. Nur Dhabitah Sabri (Kul) 301.25, 3. Nana Sasaki (Jpn) 299.55.3m springboard: 1. Nana Sasaki (Jpn) 326.15, 2. Ikumi Morisawa (Jpn) 312.20, 3. Hana Kaneto (Jpn) 300.95.
Platform: 1. Ikumi Morisawa (Jpn) 317.15, 2. Hana Kaneto (Jpn) 308.70, 3. Nur Dhabitah Sabri (Kul) 297.20.

Group C

1m springboard: 1. Ng Zheng Ni (Sel) 264.70, 2. Megan Elizabeth Teoh (Kul) 232.65, 3. Ashlee Tan (Sin) 224.65.3m springboard: 1. Ng Zheng Ni (Sel) 279.75, 2. Megan Elizabeth Teoh (Kul) 266.65, 3. Nur Ain Nadzmi (Sab) 213.85. 

Platform: 1. Ng Zheng Ni (Sel) 223.50, 2. Megan Elizabeth Teoh (Kul) 195.55, 3. Kimberly Bong (Swk) 187.50.