Pandelela Set To End Medal Drought

Pandelela Rinong is desperate to win a first individual medal at the World Aquatic Championships.

PANDELELA RINONG is fully aware that she cannot afford to score anything less than 370 points if she dreams of winning her maiden individual medal at the World Aquatic Championships in Barcelona this July 19 – August 4.

The Olympic bronze medallist has been struggling to hit the right form in the 10m platform individual, which is her pet event.

Pandelela claimed just one bronze in the opening leg of Diving World Series (DWS) in Beijing, but failed to step onto the podium in the next five.

Fresh from completing a six-week training stint in China, the fitter looking 20-year-old two time National Sportswoman of the Year believes she can get things right at the world meet.

“The 10m platform event is becoming more competitive than ever, but I’m relishing the tough challenge,” said Pandelela, who will leave for Barcelona with her team-mates today.

“I feel rejuvenated after returning from China. I know things didn’t work out too well for me in the World Series earlier, so I’m out to prove to everyone that was just some minor hiccups.

“I want a podium finish so badly in this year’s competition, having settled for fifth place twice in Rome (2009) and Shanghai (2011).

“But to stand a chance of winning it, I need at least 370 points. The Chinese are looking good for a 1-2 finish as the defending champion Chen Ruolin and newcomer Si Yajie are both capable of hitting 400-point mark.

“Meaghan (Benfeito of Canada), Yulia (Koltunova of Russia) and Brittany (Broben of Australia) will be the other medal contenders.”

Pandelela scored a career high points of 381.75 when she clinched a silver medal at the World University Games (Universiade) in Shenzhen two years ago.

This season, her best was 358.90, when she finished fourth in Guadalajara- the fifth leg of DWS.

Pandelela, who has a history of back and ankle injury, is also pleased with her fitness level.

“I’m feeling so good and my fitness is in tip-top condition. I just can’t wait for the world meet to start!”she exclaimed.

Besides Pandelela, Leong Mun Yee, Cheong Jun Hoong and Wendy Ng Yan Yee are the other three divers departing from Kuala Lumpur today.

They will be joined by Ooi Tze Liang, Chew Yi Wei, Ahmad Amsyar Azman and Traisy Vivien Tukiet who fly straight from Russia after competing in Universiade in Kazan.

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Skuad Terjun Lelaki Wajar Diberi Masa

JURULATIH terjun kebangsaan, Huang Qiang mengakui wujudnya kelemahan ketara dalam barisan penerjun lelaki sedia ada, namun beliau cukup optimis bahawa segala kekurangan yang timbul akan diatasi dalam tempoh setahun dua lagi.

Persaraan Yeoh Ken Nee selepas Olimpik London dan keputusan mengejut Bryan Nickson Lomas meninggalkan pasukan pada Mei lalu bermakna kini hanya tinggal tiga penerjun senior, iaitu Ooi Tze Liang, Ahmad Amsyar Azman dan Chew Yi Wei untuk menggalas cabaran negara dalam tempoh terdekat ini.

Namun cukup jelas bahawa mereka bertiga masih belum cukup bagus untuk bersaing di peringkat dunia.

Persembahan mereka yang kurang menyakinkan sepanjang kempen Sukan Universiti Dunia (Universiade) di Kazan yang berakhir kelmarin, adalah bukti terbaik.

Bagaimanapun, Huang Qiang tetap menegaskan yang tiga anak buahnya itu berada pada landasan tepat untuk mengisi kekosongan besar yang ditinggalkan Bryan dan Ken Nee kelak.

“Bagi saya, aksi Tze Liang, Amsyar dan Yi Wei di Kazan tidaklah seteruk mana, cuma lawan yang mereka hadapi adalah jauh terlalu handal,” katanya.

“Penerjun China, Rusia dan Mexico yang bertanding di Universiade adalah penerjun utama pasukan kebangsaan masing-masing.

“Bintang tuan rumah, Ilya Zakharov seperti yang diketahui umum adalah juara Olimpik, jadi sudah tentu tidak adil untuk membandingkan penerjun kita dengannya.

“Kita perlu terima hakikat bahawa pasukan lelaki sedang melalui tempoh peralihan selepas persaraan Ken Nee dan Bryan. Berilah mereka satu atau dua tahun lagi, saya yakin mereka mampu mencapai tahap yang diingini.

“Kita harus meletakkan kepercayaan terhadap tiga penerjun ini kerana kita sememangnya tiada pilihan buat masa ini.

“Di China, kalau seorang gagal, 10 lagi pengganti berwibawa yang berupaya menjadi juara dunia dan Olimpik sedia mengambil-alih bila-bila masa sahaja, malangnya kita tidak punyai kumpulan bakat sebesar China.”

Ooi Tze Liang dan Chew Yi Wei

Huang Qiang turut menjelaskan bahawa perancangan pembangunan bakat muda yang kurang teratur beberapa tahun lalu telah membawa kepada masalah sekarang.

Terangnya: “Tze Liang dan rakan-rakan telah terpinggir sewaktu mereka masih merupakan penerjun pelapis. Ketika itu, kita terlalu menumpukan kepada persiapan kumpulan penerjun elit sahaja ekoran masalah bajet.

“Dahulunya, apabila tiba sesuatu kejohanan besar, sekumpulan kecil penerjun elit sahaja akan berkesempatan ke China untuk berlatih manakala selainnya ditinggalkan di tanahair.

“Tetapi sekarang seluruh skuad tidak kira elit mahupun pelapis, kesemuanya dibawa bersama ke China untuk latihan pusat. Ini memberi impak positif dalam latihan penerjun-penerjun muda seperti yang kita boleh lihat hasilnya sekarang daripada peningkatan Nur Dhabitah (Sabri) dan (Loh) Zhiayi.”

Dua lagi anggota skuad terjun lelaki ialah Muhd Danial Sabri, 15, dan Muhd Nazreen Abdullah, 14.

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Our Divers Rreturn Home Empty Handed

AS expected, our diving team comprising of second stringers ended their World University Games in Kazan, Russia empty handed.

In the last two events today, fifth placing was the best Ooi Tze Liang and Ahmad Amsyar Azman could muster in the men’s 3m springboard synchro while Kam Ling Kar-Jasmine Lai continued to flop as they finished last of five pairs competing in the women’s 10m platform synchro.

Despite having experience competing in this season six-legged Diving World Series (DWS), Tze Liang-Ahmad Amsyar were a class below their rivals.

The Barcelona world championships bound pair chalked up 378.51 points over six dives.

Home boys Ilia Zakharov-Evgeny Kuznetsov outclassed their China arch-rival Lin Jin-Luo Yutong (458.34) by a huge gap of 20 points for the gold medal while Mexico’s Yahel Huerta Castillo-Daniel Alejandro Islas (426.78) took the third spot.

In women’s 10m platform synchro final, it was yet another poor performance by Ling Kar-Jasmine, who fared miserably in yesterday’s 3m springboard discipline as well.

Having paired up for years while representing their state Perak and also the national team, they should have done so much better than only garner a total score of 224.61 in five attempts.

Chen Ni-Xia Yuhua (325.32) salvaged some pride for China by defeating Russia’s pair Yulia Koltunova-Natalia Goncharova (307.62) and Paola Espinosa-Daniela Marisa Diaz Prieto (283.77).

In the previous Games in Shenzhen, China, diving was the only sport to contribute medals with one silver and two bronzes.

Pandelela Rinong created history when she became the first Malaysian diver to claim a medal by winning silver in the 10m platform individual before adding bronze with Leong Mun Yee in the synchronised discipline.

The silver is the best result by a Malaysian athlete in Universiade history.

Malaysia was also awarded another bronze as the third best overall team for women’s events.

Young Yi Wei Does Well At Universiade

Ooi Tze Liang dan Chew Yi Wei

CHEW YI WEI gave a good account of himself as he earned a creditable eighth placing in the 3m springboard individual final at the World University Games in Kazan, Russia this evening.

The 18-year-old diver made up for his disappointing outing in the 1m discipline yesterday by putting up a spirited display to accumulate 418.75 points over six attempts.

The event was won by Evgeny Kuznetsov of Russia with 496.15 points, followed by Chinese duo Lin Jin (488.90) and Qin Tian (482.20).

Home crowd favourite who was widely tipped to win the event, Ilia Zakharov flopped in his fifth dive and found himself in an unfamiliar sixth spot. The Olympic champion amassed 460.15.

For Yi Wei, it is certainly a morale boosting performance ahead of his World Championships debut in Barcelona in two weeks’ time.

Although his performance was nowhere near the world’s top divers, Yi Wei can be really proud of himself as he executed the lower Degree of Difficulty (DD) routines compared to the rest of the field.

He has no more events to participate in at the Games and will now shift his focus to the world meet.

His teammate Ooi Tze Liang, on the other hand, was eliminated from semifinals earlier in the afternoon after finishing 13th - missing the cut to the final 12 by just a spot.

Our Universiade Hopes Take A Dive

Pandelela Rinong won a silver at the last Games.

THE Malaysian contingent will have to look elsewhere for medals at the World University Games (Universiade) which kicksoff in Kazan, Russia, today with diving unlikely to deliver.

In the previous Games in Shenzhen, China, diving was the only sport to contribute medals with one silver and two bronzes.

Pandelela Rinong created history when she became the first Malaysian diver to claim a medal by winning silver in the 10m platform individual before adding bronze with Leong Mun Yee in the synchronised discipline.

The silver is the best result by a Malaysian athlete in Universiade history.

Malaysia was also awarded another bronze as the third best overall team for women’s events.

But Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (ASUM)’s decision to save the best for the World Aquatic Championships in Barcelona from July 19-Aug 4 meant senior divers including Cheong Jun Hoong and Wendy Ng Yan Yee will not be playing part in the biennial meet.

Ooi Tze Liang and Ahmad Amsyar are Malaysia’s best hope of an upset.

Ooi Tze Liang and Ahmad Amsyar are Malaysia’s best hope of an upset.

Instead, second stringers such as Ooi Tze Liang, Ahmad Amsyar Azman, Chew Yi Wei, Traisy Vivien Tukiet, Kam Ling Kar and Jasmine Lai, are being given a chance to shine and gain invaluable experience.

It will be too much to ask them to deliver against a world class field.

China will be represented by London 2012 gold medallist Luo Yutong who won the menʼs synchronised 3m springboard with Qin Kai.

The 27-year-old diver also won gold at two World Championships (2007, 2011) in the 1m springboard discipline.

China will also have several gold medallists from the 2011 Games such as Lin Jin (1m springboard), Wu Jun (10 metre platform), Huo Liang (synchronised 10 metre platform) and Games silver medallist Sun Zhiyi (1 metre springboard).

Our best hope will likely be in the synchronised events, particularly on the Tze Liang-Ahmad Amsyar partnership in the 3m springboard synchronised event.

The pair have benefited from competing in the Diving World Series (DWS) and will not be short of high level competition exposure.

Yiwei and Tzeliang will be the first group of athletes be in action today when they compete in the men’s 3m springboard individual.

Katrina Sizzles In The Pool

Katrina Ann Abdul Hadi choreographed her moves to Lindsey Stirling’s ‘River Flows in You’ on her way to the gold. 

TOP national synchronised swimmer Katrina Ann Abdul Hadi showed no signs of being troubled by her old right wrist injury as she defended her technical solo’s gold medal in a convincing manner today.

The 20-year-old Selangor lass was simply a class above the rest of the field as she amassed a total score of 75.64 to defeat fellow national squad teammate Tasha Jane Tasha Ali (70.24) of Penang and Kuala Lumpur’s Jacqueline Ng Siew Fong (65.24).

She choreographed her moves to Lindsey Stirling’s hauntingly beautiful tune ‘River Flows in You’ and proved to be a delight to watch, as her graceful actions and motion saw her glide through the water with hardly a ripple.

“There is no problem whatsoever with my wrist, it has healed completely since February,” said the winner of five gold medals at the 2011 Palembang SEA Games.

“I would love to conclude my final SUKMA appearance with a bang.

“I could remember when I made my debut in 2004 in Negri Sembilan; I was on double duty for Selangor and eventually won a gold in synchronised swimming and silver in gymnastics – both team events.

“I’m going for one more when I’m back to the pool with Zylane (Lee Yhing Huey) for duet technical tomorrow.”

Katrina with Zylane Lee Yhing Huey.

Zylane, on the other hand, retained her gold medal after pipping arch-rival from Penang, Emanuelle Mah Thil Da – just like two years ago in the free solo’s event to give Selangor a double joy.

She garnered 74.20 points compared to Emanuelle’s 69.90. Foong Yan-Nie (66.20) of Kuala Lumpur was third.

Katrina, Zylane, Emanuelle and Tasha – all members of national team – are allowed to compete only in two events. Emanuelle will partner Tasha for the duet free tomorrow.

Without the four, it paved way for more exciting competition in the team technical event, which was won by Negri.

The team led by national squad member Gan Zhen Yu, amassed 70.90 to exact sweet revenge over the previous edition champions Penang (69.70), who were clearly missing the absence of talismanic Emanuelle and Tasha, beating them by a mere 1.2 points.

Kuala Lumpur took the bronze with 69.00 points.

Negri’s Chinese coach Hu Shuxia, who trained the team for seven years could not hide her delight following the win.

Shuxia, who is also a former national coach for three years, said: “It was a hard fought victory. The girls have finally earned the victory they deserved, I’m happy for them.

“It was the exactly the same line-up that lost to Penang two years ago in both team technical and team free. They were so determined to be the better team this year and they have done it.”

Kevin’s Ultimate Goal

By TAN MING WAI

http://www.sports247.my/2013/02/kevins-ultimate-goal/

Kevin Yeap 

http://www.sports247.my/2013/02/kevins-ultimate-goal/KEVIN YEAP believes it is a matter of time before he breaks the longest standing swimming record, held by Jeffrey Ong, in the 1,500m freestyle.

The middle and long distance swimmer was only five when Jefferey clocked 15 minutes and 23.61 seconds to clinch silver at the World University Games in Sheffield, United Kingdom in 1991.

The 23-year-old Palembang SEA Games 400m freestyle gold medallist has shown some promising signs of eventually erasing the national mark.

The Perak-born lad improved on his personal best by posting 15:32.51s en route to winning the 1,500m freestyle at the Malaysian Open in Bukit Jalil, last May and he was tipped to further improve towards the end of the year.

He, however, failed to do well in the season ending Asian Swimming Championships in Dubai, last November, as he only managed 15:40.87s to finish fifth in the 1,500m freestyle final where he swam alongside double Olympic champion Sun Yang.

“My 1,500m freestyle was a bit off at the Asian Championships and that was disappointing,” said Kevin.

“I’m not too sure if I will be able to break Jeffrey’s record this year, but it remains the ultimate target for me.

“I have been putting a lot of effort to achieve it. To chase the record gives me extra motivation. It’s certainly doable.”

Kevin has picked World Aquatic Championship in Barcelona in July and Myanmar SEA Games in November as the two meets he targeted to peak in.

“I hope I can peak for both World Championship and SEA Games, and we will see if I can do it (breaking national record).

“Prior to Barcelona, we will compete in the Singapore national age-group next month and Malaysian Open to serve as warm up meets.

“Hopefully I will be able to swim close to my PB in the upcoming Singapore age-group, and work extra harder for Malaysian Open, he said.

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Traisy’s Lucky Escape

By TAN MING WAI    http://www.sports247.my/2013/02/traisys-lucky-escape/

NATIONAL diver Traisy Vivien Tukiet who turned 19 yesterday, breathed a huge sigh of relief as she escaped serious injury after falling from the diving board during a training session at a dry gym in Dali, China on Wednesday.

The divers are in the second week of a six-week training stint in Dali.

The injury could have jeopardised the petite Sarawakian’s chances of making her third appearance at the World Aquatic Championship in Barcelona, Spain in July.

“It happened while I was practising my routine. My legs felt weak and I fell. But I guess Lady Luck was smiling as I was fortunate it was nothing serious,” said Traisy, who competed in the 2012 Olympics.

“Thank God the World Championships are five months away. I cannot afford to miss it as I want to do well!”

Traisy Vivien Tukiet

Traisy, who competes in the 10m platform discipline alongside Olympic bronze medallist Pandelela Rinong, finished 14th two years ago.

She had qualified for the semifinals after finishing in the top 18.

In the semifinals, she could only place 14th and missed out on a place in the final which was only opened to the top 12 divers.

She made her debut in world meet at the age of 15 in Rome two years earlier, and finished a disappointing 30th out of 31 divers.

Traisy said: “Failing to make it to final hurts me two years ago. It was just two spots that separate me to be from being world’s top 12 divers.

“As you know, in the final, everything will start from scratch and you can secure a better ranking.

“As this year will be my third appearance, my target is to reach the final.”

Last year was a year to forget for Traisy as she flopped in the London Olympics, finishing 22nd from 26 participants, before ending the year with yet another disappointment when she failed to win a medal at the World Junior Diving Championship in Adelaide, Australia in October.

The Palembang SEA Games gold medallist is aware that she has to improve as her position as the No. 2 woman’s platform diver is no longer secured with emergence of talented youngsters like Kam Ling Kar and Loh Zhiayi.

On her birthday celebration, she said: “I didn’t really celebrate, just went for a walk around the town with my teammates. Very simple, and they bought me a present – and of course it is an item which is ‘Made in China’!.”

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Nazreen Is An Unpolished Diamond

By G. ARAVIND    http://www.sports247.my/2013/01/nazreen-is-an-unpolished-diamond/

Muhammad Nazreen Abdullah

MUHAMMAD NAZREEN ABDULLAH won’t have any pressure to win a medal when he competes in the Australian Youth Olympic Festival (AYOF) from Jan 16-20 in Sydney.

“My coach (Yang Zhuliang) told just to give it my best shot and that puts less pressure on me to do well in the competition,” said the 15-year-old diver

The pint-sized Nazreen started diving when he was nine and joined Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) when he was in Form One. He has been training for only about three months under Zhuliang but said he can see the improvements.

The divers train every weekdays and on Saturday morning before they head back home.

“It’s tiring when you train every day after school and go back around 7pm. Then I have my shower before going for prayers and having dinner. At night I try to spend some time on my studies before going to bed,” said Nazreen.

Despite the tight schedule, Nazreen still hopes to represent the country in the senior level if he is good enough to do so.

“I want to compete in the big tournaments like the Olympics and hopefully I will be up the level,” he said.

The hard work has clearly paid off and his achievement speaks for itself after he finished ninth in the platform B event (14-15 years) at the World Junior Diving Championships in Adelaide, Australia last October.

“My parents’ encouragement was the main reason behind me doing well and they have been really supportive since I joined in 2008.

Meanwhile, Zhuliang expects this year will be very important for the junior divers as some of them will be promoted from the backup to the elite squad.

“We have to train the juniors in the 10m platform event which is very difficult to master and at the same time we also have to deliver in the upcoming SEA Games (December)”

“It’s a step by step process as we shouldn’t rush them to show immediate improvements. So we will focus on the SEA Games for this year before turning our attention to the Asian Games next year.

Diving Makes A Splash

By HO LEE CHING   http://www.sports247.my/2012/12/diving-makes-a-splash/

THERE is gold in bronze if Malaysia is to learn from aquatics.

Pandelela Rinong’s journey to the Olympics is well known. It is one full of sacrifices in her single-mindedness to be among the best in aquatics.

Pandelela became the first Malaysia woman to win an Olympic medal. In her dive, she brought to surface bountiful inspiration for others to excel. It is all about hard work and passion, loving what she does.

Together with other members of the national diving team – Leong Mun Yee, Cheong Jun Hoong, Wendy Ng Yan Yee, Traisy Vivien Tukiet, Yeoh Ken Nee, Huang Qiang and Bryan Nickson Lomas – took aquatics to greater heights.

Under the coaching of Chinia’s Yang Zhuliang, who came back in 2009, the sport has now grown to be more conventional compared to the previous years.

The diving team got off a decent start in 2012 with Huang Qiang and Bryan winning the 3m men’s synchronised springboard in both the FINA Grand Prix Fort Lauderdale, US, and FINA Grand Prix Montreal, Canada in May. Pandelela also won the 10m women’s platform in the Montreal leg.

Following the satisfactory performance, eight divers qualified for the 2012 London Olympics in August. Ken Nee became the first Malaysian to qualify for the final of an individual event in diving (3m springboard) before Pandelela went on to win bronze in the 10m women’s platform. The 19-year-old won Malaysia’s first Olympic medal in a sport other than badminton.

The national back-up and the junior diving team powered to six gold, four silver and two bronze medals in the South-East Asia (SEA) Swimming Championships in June, and two silver and three bronze medals in the Asian Swimming Championships in Dubai last November. Among the promising juniors are Nur Dhabitah Sabri, 13, Loh Zhiayi, 15, Jasmine Lai Pui Yee, 16, Kam Ling Kar, 16, and Chew YiWei, 17.

With the achievements throughout the year, diving has become the number one aquatic sport as swimming, water polo and synchronised swimming struggle to match up.

Olympian swimmer Khoo Cai Lin finished sixth in her heats and did not qualify for the final of the 800m freestyle in the 2012 London Olympics. Yet, her 8:51.18 time qualified her for the World Championships in Dubai next year.

In the Asian Swimming Championship in Dubai last November, she booked her second ticket to the World Championships in Dubai after finishing fourth in the 400m freestyle. SEA Games gold medallist Kevin Yeap Soon Choy will join her in Dubai after he swam to fourth spot in the 400m freestyle and fifth in the 1,500m freestyle in the Asian Swimming Championships in Dubai in November.

The synchronised swimming team proved to be too good in the region when they swept all five gold medals during the SEA Games in Palembang, Indonesia last year. This year, 22-year-old Katrina Ann Abdul Hadi and the Lee sisters – Zylane and Zyanne – swept four titles in the Southeast Asian Championships in Singapore in July.

While swimming and synchronised swimming have showed their strength in the region, it is time for them to take a step forward if they want to embed their names at world level.

Water polo, on the other hand, is still fighting to stay afloat after their bronze medal in the 2005 SEA Games in Philippines and a bronze medal from the women’s team after Thailand pulled out in the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia.

Malaysia needs to consider and invest in proper facilities, management and programmes at the both national and grassroots level to further develop the sport. At the moment, there is no proper centralised training and national coach.

All in all, the Malaysian aquatics scene has taken on quite a high profile throughout the year, attracting attention and awareness among Malaysians.

The ‘Joey’ Of Diving And Dancing

HO LEE CHING       http://www.sports247.my/2012/12/the-joey-of-diving-and-dancing/

Loh Zhiayi

IF there was a parallel universe, national diver Loh Zhiayi said she would want to be a dancer.

Nicknamed “Joey”, the 15-year-old had taken ballet classes when she was nine but had to quit after she took up diving.

“Diving and ballet classes used to clash all the time. I remember getting scolded by the diving coach because I used to skip classes just to attend ballet. So my mother told me to choose one. The diving classes were free but ballet was not. So I went with diving and here I am today,” said Joey.

Joey’s best achievement so far is winning two bronze medals in the Asian Swimming Championships in Dubai last month – the 10-metre platform and 3-metre springboard synchronised with 22-year-old Cheong Jun Hoong.

When asked how she got to know about diving, Joey giggled and took a while trying to explain this:

Back in Kepong, Wendy Ng Yan Yee, who is also a national diver, used to attend gymrama classes with her elder sister. During one of those classes, Wendy’s mother introduced diving to Joey’s mother and so, she was taken to try it out at the Cheras Swimming Complex.

“During the first meet-up with the coach, I was told to jump on the trampoline. I had so much fun. Really, it was my first time on the trampoline and I fell in love with it immediately,” said Joey.

The coach then agreed to take Joey in due to her small body frame which, he said, suited the sport.

“I was enjoying myself with diving as I was winning quite a lot. My first Sukma was at 11, but I soon realised I had to give up so many things just to dive. I had no more time for friends or family, but I had to get used to it,” said Joey who then joked that she would feel empty if there were no training sessions.

“But I guess, the little time you have with your family and friends makes you appreciate every moment more,” added Joey.

When asked about dancing, Joey said she would not mind going for classes if she had the chance. What is surprising is that the former ballet student would actually take breakdancing classes as opposed to contemporary or jazz.

As for now, Joey is happy learning breakdancing moves through YouTube and music videos, while working hard to achieve better results in diving.

“Like every athlete, I would want to win in the Olympics. I want to be like Pandelela Rinong.”

Diving Is No Plaything For Tze Liang

HO LEE CHING   http://www.sports247.my/2012/12/diving-is-no-play-for-tze-liang/

Ooi Tze Liang

“I WAS eight when my father came up to me one day and asked if I wanted to ‘play’ this sport called diving. Of course, as a kid, when I heard the word ‘play’, I got excited and said yes,” said national diver Ooi Tze Liang.

His father then signed him up for diving lessons at the Penang International Sports Arena. Tze Liang, however, had never heard of or seen diving before. He had no clue of what he was getting into and had to find out the hard way.

“At training, I suddenly realised my father’s ‘play’ meant jumping off springboards! But I was so nervous to jump off them. I still remember how scary it was standing at the edge of the springboard for the very first time. It was the lowest springboard but I was still scared,” said the 19-year-old.

Tze Liang recalls the adrenaline rush and noted that it was also challenging at the same time.

“I still am scared whenever I try out new diving tricks and techniques; the first time is always scary, but you get used to it. I also figured that focusing forward and not looking down helped.”

Generally, Tze Liang loves doing all his dives, including the hard ones. Without hesitance, Tze Liang noted: “The reverse dives are definitely my favourite. Yet, they are not my best. I still have a lot to work on with those dives.”

Tze Liang took part in his first tournament at nine where he ended up last. In his second tournament the same year, he finished 11th out of 25 participants.

Interestingly, after only a year of diving lessons, Tze Liang already knew he wanted diving to be part of his life.

“I knew I enjoyed diving a lot and I knew I had some potential in the sport. I also knew that I could be a good diver.”

Tze Liang’s unwavering belief in himself took him to greater heights.

In 2004, at age 11, he represented Penang in his first Sukma in Negri Sembilan where he finished 7th. His second Sukma in 006 in Kedah earned him his first Sukma gold medal which led him to join the Bukit Jalil Sports School the following year.

To date, the Penangite’s greatest achievements are the silver medal in the 10m platform synchronised event with Bryan Nickson Lomas at the 2010 Asian Games, and two silver medals at the recent Asian Swimming Championships at Dubai. He came in second in both the men’s 3m springboard and the men’s 3m synchronised event with Chew YiWei.

As a schooling teenager, Tze Liang openly admits, “I have not been very good with my studies since I was young. But diving gives me the opportunity to turn my life around. It is something I can be good at and it is how I would want to make my living in the future. So no matter what, I will find a way to make it.”

Even though Tze Liang failed to make a cut for the 2012 London Olympics, he is determined to work harder to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Second Silver For Tze Liang

http://www.sports247.my/2012/11/second-silver-for-tze-liang/

Ooi Tze Liang (left) Chew Yi Wei won the silver in the men’s synchronised 3m springboard on Thursday, and Tze Liang followed up with his second silver medalin the men’s 3m springboard

DIVER Ooi Tze Liang collected his second silver medal at the 9th Asian Swimming Championships when he finished second in the men’s 3m springboard.

Tze Liang, who partnered Chew Yi Wei to the silver medal in the men’s synchronised 3m springboard on Thursday, finished the individual event with 440.50 points.

China’s China’s Zhou Xin (480.25) and Xie Zhen of Hong Kong (420.75) picked up the gold and bronze respectively.

There was more good news for Malaysia as Loh Zhiayi-Cheong Jun Hoong collected 230.82 points to take home the bronze in the women’s synchronised 10m platform.

China’s Xing Yiying-Wang Wenna earned 315.21 points for the gold, while Yuka Mabuchi-Fuka Tatsumi of Japan scored 240.72 points to take home the silver.

Diving: Duo Want To Be Known

http://www.sports247.my/2012/11/diving-duo-want-to-be-known/




DIVERS Ooi Tze Liang and Chew Yiwei believe they can win a medal at the Asian Diving Championships in Dubai from Nov 15-25.

Tze Liang and Yiwei will compete in the men's 3 metre synchronised and individual events in their Asian meet

“We have been training hard, and we want to win a medal,” said 17-year-old Yiwei.

Tze Liang, 19 said the duo’s best achievement after being with the national team for the past five years came from an invitational tournament in New Zealand last year, where they pulled an upset over China to win the gold medal.

Penangite Tze Liang and the KL-born Yiwei said their ultimate goal is to qualify for the 2016 Rio Games. – By FABIAN PETER