PETALING JAYA: It was not just the senior divers who flew the flag high for Malaysia at the World University Games in Shenzhen but the juniors were also making their presence felt on the other side of the globe.
Malaysian back-up divers did well to bag six golds, five silvers and six bronze medals in their first participation in the Asia Pacific Rim Junior Invitational Championships held in Wellington over the weekend.
Back-up diver Jasmine Lai Pui Yee underlined her talent with an upset performance in the girls’ Group A (16-18) platform competition.
A winner: Ooi Tze Liang won the Group A 1m springboard competition in Wellington over the weekend.Jasmine finished with 404.05 points to take the gold ahead of fellow team-mate Kam Ling Kar (385.95 points) while Traisy Vivien, who took part in the World Championships in Shanghai last month, only managed fifth place (351.50 points).
Jasmine also partnered Ling Kar to take gold for Malaysia in the girls Open 3m springboard synchro with 274.68 points.
Ooi Tze Liang, who also competed at the world meet in Shanghai, won the boy’s Group A 1m springboard competition with 537.15 points ahead of Zhi Dongwei of Shandong province.
Another Malaysian Chew Yi Wei was fourth with 448.90 points.
Tze Liang failed in his bid to complete a sweep of the platform titles in Group A when he settled for silver with 426.60 points behind Dongwei (505.95 points).
The Penang-born diver was not to be denied his second gold medal as he teamed up with Yi Wei to win the boy’s Open 3m springboard competition with 323.49 points.
Loh Zhaiyi came out tops for Malaysia in the girls’ Group B (14-15) platform and 3m springboard competitions.
Zhaiyi failed in her bid to make it to the podium in the 1m springboard where she finished fourth.
The biggest New Zealand diving event of the year brought together 60 junior elite springboard and platform divers with competitors from China, Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, India and Croatia.
Malaysia sent four boys and four girls for the meet accompanied by coaches Yao Fu Ling and
Huang Qiang.
The strong showing certainly bodes well for the youngsters ahead of the Asian age-group diving
championships in Palembang at the end of next month.
Diving head coach Yang Zhuliang was happy with the performance of the second echelon divers in
their first major competition outside the country this year.
“With the exception of Tze Liang and Traisy, the others still have a long way to go to catch up with the seniors but they are on the right track.
“Their goal is to be ready for the World Junior Championships in Adelaide next year.
“Some of the back-up divers performed well and they might be going for the SEA Games in
Indonesia but it will be decided later,” he said.
The 17-year-old got his first-ever victory in an individual event at the Malaysia Games when he won the men's 3m springboard at the Wisma Belia Aquatic centre in Kuantan yesterday.
