Sylvester Stamps His Mark

SARAWAK'S Sylvester Gaing is well on the footsteps of his idol Bryan Nickson Lomas after notching a commendable double victory on the final day of the Perlis Malaysia Games diving competition.

Sylvester, competing in his third Malaysia Games, clinched the men's individual platform gold with a 276.10 score at the Perlis Sports Complex Aquatics Centre. Federal Territories' Hanis Nazirul Jaya Surya (264.45) and Sabah's Jellson Jabilin (253.05) finished second and third respectively.

He then teamed up with Carlyse Chan to give Sarawak top honours in the 3m springboard synchronised event after managing 334.80, ahead of Selangor's Ahmad Shahrol-Ng Zheng Hao (287.82s) and Perak's Syafiq Puteh-Kua Chee Yeap (275.10) who finished second and third.

The 17-year-old, who earned a call-up to the national backup squad in November but left earlier this year due to personal reasons, said: “I did not expect to win gold here so to get two is a great feeling for me.

“I really look up to Bryan as he is a great diver and is also a Sarawakian from Samarahan. It is a long way to go but I hope I can achieve what he did one day.”

As expected, the women's platform event saw Federal Territrories’ Loh Zhiayi defending her title with a 325.40 score. Perak's Jasmine Lai finished second on 241.10 while Megan Elizabeth Teoh (FT) clinched bronze with 213.95.

Sarawak’s Sylvester Gaing performing his routine in the individual platform at the Malaysia Games yesterday. Pic by Eizairi Shamsudin

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Scrappy Win For Nur Dhabitah-Zhiayi

NUR Dhabitah Sabri and Loh Zhiayi's long-term partnership again yielded the desired results for Federal Territories (FT) in the Malaysia Games diving competition at the Perlis Sports Complex Aquatics Centre in Kangar yesterday.

The pair were not at their best but nevertheless proved heads and shoulders above their rivals in the women's platform synchronised event as they clinched gold on a lukewarm 261.78 total score.

Sarawak's Kimberly Bong-Tracia Irene Erik finished second on 193.38 while Selangor's Min Lim-Erica Pan clinched bronze with 157.86.

Nur Dhabitah admitted the duo were not having one of their better days but is happy their partnership continues to remain strong since representing FT at the games in 2008.

The pair won the 3m sprinboard synchronised event at the last games but chose not to compete in the discipline this year. Zhiayi, 15, will defend her platform individual gold today. They are limited to two events each as they had both won medals at the Myanmar Sea Games last year.

“This is our fourth Malaysia Games together and we have always been partners since the first one,” said 15-year-old Nur Dhabitah, whose grandmother Che Dara Daud, 88, has always come to support her in every local competition.

Nur Dhabitah had earlier defended her title in the 3m springboard individual event, winning with a 298.90 score. Selangor's Adeline Chin finished second on 244.65 while Perak's Jasmine Lai (223.65) clinched bronze.

The men’s 1m sprinboard saw Perak’s Muhammad Syafiq Puteh win with a 319.10 total while Selangor’s Chew Yiwei (317.60) took silver. Carlyse Chan of Sarawak finished third on 315.70.


Read more: Scrappy win for Nur Dhabitah-Zhiayi - Other - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/sports/other/scrappy-win-for-nur-dhabitah-zhiayi-1.609226#ixzz33SIYTclS

Problems Aside, Slyvester Finally Gets It Right

KANGAR: Third time’s the charm for Slyvester Gaing as he rose to the occasion to bag his first Sukma medals – both golds – in the men’s platform and 3m springboard synchro.

Slyvester teamed up with Carlyse Chan Wee Chiek to score 334.80 in the springboard synchro event, well ahead of nearest rivals Ikhlas-Ahmad Sharol Lail and Ng Zheng Hao of Selangor (287.82) to deliver the first diving gold for Sarawak.

Perak’s Yeap Kua Chee and Muhammad Syafiq Puteh finished third on 275.10.

The win gave Slyvester, competing in his third Sukma, a boost of confidence as he took the platform gold with a score of 276.10, well ahead of Federal Territories’ Hanis Nazirul Jaya Surya (264.45) and Jellson Jabilin of Sabah (253.05).


“Honestly, I didn’t expect to win either event. It came as a surprise, but it’s a pleasant one because it finally happened,” said Slyvester, who finished fourth in the 3m individual springboard on Thursday.

The 17-year-old from Kuching joined the national development squad in January this year but was forced to quit prematurely in April due to family problems. However, Slyvester has not ruled out re-joining the squad after his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations.

“I love diving. And should the national team come calling again, I’ll definitely take up the chance. Being a Sarawakian, I’d love to emulate Bryan’s (Nickson Lomas) success and hopefully I’ll get the chance to do it,” added the Form Five student from SMK Tebuan Jaya.

Meanwhile, FT’s Loh Zhiayi bagged the women’s platform event.

Zhiayi maintain a steady lead with a series of 66.30, 75.00, 65.60, 60.90 and 57.60 to amass a total of 325.40 points for the gold - her second after clinching the women’s platform synchro with Nur Dhabitah Sabri.

Perak’s Jasmine Lai Pui Yee (241.10) picked up the silver with Megan Elizabeth Teoh (213.95) taking the bronze.

Bitah’s Good Luck Charm Inspires Her To Two Golds

Gold medallist Nur Dhabitah Sabri of FT in action during the 3m springboard event at the Sukma Games on Saturday. - BERNAMA

KANGAR: National diver Nur Dhabitah Sabri’s grandmother may just be her lucky charm when it comes to the Malaysia Games (Sukma).

On Saturday, Dhabitah bagged two gold medals – in the women’s 3m springboard individual and platform synchro events – with her 88-year-old grandmother Che Dara Daud cheering from the stands at the State Aquatic Centre in Kangar.

In the 3m springboard, Dhabitah scored 298.90 points to win the gold medal, with Selangor’s Adeline Chin Wei Ling (244.65) trailing in second and Perak’s Jasmine Lai Pui Yee (223.65) third.

The 15-year-old Dhabitah then partnered Loh Zhiayi to bag the gold medal in the women’s platform synchro.


Dhabitah-Zhiayi scored 261.78 points against the young Sarawak duo of Kimberly Bong Qian Ding, 12, and Tracia Irene Erik, 10, who scored 193.38 for a credible silver while Selangor’s Min Lim-Erica Pan Ying Xin finished third with 157.86.

“I did well in the springboard ... but the platform was a different story. I think we could have done better,” said Dhabitah.

“My grandmother has been supporting me at every Sukma since I made my debut in Kuala Terengganu in 2008. This is my fourth Sukma ... it’s nice to have her here again.”

Dhabitah has won a medal at every Sukma since 2008 – amassing a total of four golds, one silver and five bronzes.

Meanwhile, Perak’s Muhammad Syafiq Puteh piped Selangor’s Chew Yi Wei to the gold medal in the men’s 1m springboard yesterday.

Nineteen year-old Syafiq scored 319.10 poins to nick the gold ahead of Yi Wei (317.60) after a close battle.

Yi Wei led at the halfway mark with 220.60 points against Syafiq’s 213.30.

However, poor dives in the fourth (41.40) and fifth (45.00) caused Yi Wei to drop to second behind Syafiq.

Yi Wei’s sixth and final dive of 52.00 was enough to secure the silver medal, ahead of Sarawak’s Carlyse Chan Wee Chiek (315.70).

Yiwei Dreaming Of Rio

NATIONAL diver Chew Yiwei is still good for another Malaysia Games campaign but he is hoping his appearance in Perlis this week will be his last.
The 19-year-old was not at his best in the men’s 3m springboard at the Perlis Sports Complex Aquatics Centre in Kangar yesterday but his 64.50, 49.50, 66.00, 70.50, 66.30 and 72.85 series for a 389.65 total was nevertheless enough for him to ease to the gold.

Perak’s Muhammad Syafiq Puteh was second (328.00) while Federal Territories’ (FT) Hanis Nazirul Jaya Surya clinched bronze with a 316.00 effort.

Yiwei, a bronze medallist in the event at the Myanmar Sea Games last year, said he was delighted to defend the title he won in Pahang despite a nervous performance.

“I was quite nervous as all eyes were on me as a national diver and also the defending champion. It is my first local competition for two years (since last Malaysia Games),” said Yiwei.

“I am happy to defend my title here. In terms of age I can still compete at the next Malaysia Games but I hope this will be my last.

“The Rio Olympics will be held at the same time as the next Games and I really want to be competing there and will be working hard to qualify for it.”

The Klang-born diver, who is competing in his fourth Malaysia Games in Perlis, added that he is hoping to sign off with a gold in the 1m springboard today.

The men’s 10m platform synchro event saw Perak duo Chee Yeap Kua-Muhammad Syafiq take the gold on 303.78 with Selangor’s Farez Izzudin Shuhaimi-Zheng Yuan Ng finishing second (263.91).

Sarawak’s Enrique Harold-Leo Ah Boon Daniel (245.01) took the bronze.

The women’s 3m springboard synchronised gold also went to Perak as Kam Ling Kar-Jasmine Lai won with a 254.94 total. FT’s Ong Ker Ying-Megan Elizabeth Teoh was second on 206.52 while Sabah’s Nur Ain Nadzmi-Nirfazuyanti Jali clinched bronze with 163.74.

The women’s 1m springboard and 10m platform synchronised will also be held today.


Read more: Yiwei dreaming of Rio - Other - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/sports/other/yiwei-dreaming-of-rio-1.607837#ixzz33SMeqD8v

Sukma Can't Break Up Jasmine, Ling Kar Friendship

Jasmine Lai Pui Yee on her way to winning the gold in the women's 1m springboard event at Sukma on May 30, 2014. – Faihan Ghani/ THE STAR

KANGAR: You win some, you lose some. But, the friendship between national divers Jasmine Lai Pui Yee and Kam Ling Kar is too strong for them to let a gold medal come between them.

The Perak duo, who won the gold in the women’s 3m springboard synchro event on Thursday, have been friends since they were 10 years old when they started swimming together at the Ipoh Municipal Hall Swimming Complex.

On Friday, the 19-year-old Jasmine edged out her team-mate to win the gold in the women’s 1m springboard event at the State Aquatic Centre with a score of 242.35.

Ling Kar was just three points shy of the top mark, earning 239.85 to take home the silver with Selangor’s Adeline Chin Wei Ling completing the podium on 227.45.

“It is tough competing against your partner, but we’ve been doing it for years and we understand how it works. We always wish each other the best of luck. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and that’s just how it goes,” said Jasmine.

“It’s still challenging to compete at Sukma because our level is almost the same. It all depends on how you perform, that’s the only big difference,” added Jasmine, who is set to compete in the women’s platform, 3m springboard and synchronised platform.

“I targeted to win the gold today and thank God it happened. As for my other events, I’ll try my best to deliver.”

Jasmine Wins Friendly Rivalry

PERAK diver Jasmine Lai (pic) held steady to lead a 1-2 finish for the state in the women’s 1m springboard individual event at the Perlis Malaysia Games yesterday.

The defending champion’s 50.40, 50.70, 46.00, 48.00 and 47.25 series for a 242.35 total was enough to see her edge teammate at both state and national level, Kam Ling Kar (239.85) to the gold at the Perlis Sports Complex Aquatics Centre in Kangar. Selangor’s Adeline Chin scored 227.45 total to finish third.

Jasmine and Ling Kar had on Thursday won the 3m springboard synchronised gold.

The 19-year-old, who is competing in her fourth Malaysia Games, said she was delighted to help Perak add to their tally in what was a tough event for her. Ling Kar was visibly disappointed with her performance and was teary-eyed during the prize giving ceremony.

“Ling Kar and I have been friends since we were 10 when we used to train together at the Aquatics Complex in Ipoh,” said the Bukit Jalil Sports School student.

“We are teammates in the synchro events but there are times when we have to compete against each other, like this.

“It can be tough but we always wish each other the best of luck before a competition and remain friends no matter the outcome.”

The duo had finished fifth in the 3m springboard at the Mexico leg of the World Diving Grand Prix earlier this month.

Jasmine, who won two gold in Pahang, added that she is hoping to also emerge victorious in the 3m springboard individual as well as the synchronised platform partnering Ling Kar. Both events will be held today.

The men’s 1m sprinboard and women’s platform individual events, initially scheduled for yesterday, were postponed to today and tomorrow respectively.


Read more: Jasmine wins friendly rivalry - Other - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/sports/other/jasmine-wins-friendly-rivalry-1.608536#ixzz33SJhMDAT

Yi Wei Defends 3m Springboard Title

KANGAR: Selangor's Chew Yi Wei shook off first-day jitters to successfully defend his Sukma men’s 3m springboard title.

Yi Wei landed Selangor’s first gold in aquatics with a score of 389.65, ahead of Perak’s Muhammad Syafiq Puteh (328.00) and Federal Territories’ Hanis Nazirul Jaya Surya (316.00).

The 19-year-old confessed he was nervous going into the event as he hadn’t competed locally in two years since his last Sukma gold in the same event two years ago in Pahang.

“My first two dives didn’t go so well, but I managed to regain my composure and get my normal rhythm back,” said Yi Wei, who scored 64.50 and 49.50 in his first two dives – his two lowest of the day.


“It’s a different feeling all together competing at the international level and here. Here, I am the defending champion and the pressure was just so much more for me to do well. So I feel really good that I was able to clinch the gold,” added Yi Wei.

He had no complaints on the State Aquatic Centre, which had received flak in recent weeks, saying: “It’s not the cleanest pool I’ve competed in but it’s fine.”

His only disappointment was not garnering a score closer to his personal best of 420 which he achieved in the same event at the World Championships in Barcelona last year.

Yi Wei will get a chance to make it a double win when he competes in the men’s 1m platform on Friday.

“Actually there was an error. I was registered late for the 10m platform so I was ineligible. Instead, I’ll be competing in the 1m springboard,” said Yi Wei with a nervous smile.

“I haven’t trained for this event since Barcelona last year so it’ll be interesting to see what happens tomorrow.”

Dhabitah Breaches 300-point Mark At Diving GP

Nur Dhabitah Sabri on her way to scoring a total of 302.70 points in the 10m platform individual event at the fifth leg of FINA Diving Grand Prix in Guanajuato, Mexico. – EPA Photo

Nur Dhabitah Sabri on her way to scoring a total of 302.70 points in the 10m platform individual event at the fifth leg of FINA Diving Grand Prix in Guanajuato, Mexico. – EPA Photo


PETALING JAYA: She may have missed the final again, but teenage diver Nur Dhabitah Sabri has certainly showcased her potential with the best performance to date at the fifth leg of FINA Diving Grand Prix in Guanajuato, Mexico.

Dhabitah, who will turn 15 in July, breached the 300-point mark in the 10m platform individual event for the first time on Friday when she chalked up 302.70 points to settle for fourth place in the semi-finals.

Topping the field were Chinese pair Qian Ren (370.40) and Ji Si Yu (340.55) while American Jessica Parratto (323.00) came in third.

Only the top three divers from each semi-final qualify for the final.


The Kuala Lumpur-born teenager was once again denied from progressing further by just a spot, much like at the German GP in Rostock in February.

But, this time, Dhabitah was still smiling.

“It’s the first time I managed to score over 300 points for five dives, so I couldn’t be more delighted despite not making it to the final,” said Dhabitah from Guanajuato.

“If I had executed my second and fifth attempts better, the accumulated score would have been higher. But overall, I’m really satisfied,”

The Mexican GP is Dhabitah’s second competitive meet of the year.

At the German GP, she could only finish fifth in her semi-final grouping with 269.20 points.

Dhabitah’s team-mate Loh Zhiayi also failed to progress after finishing sixth in the other semi-final with a poor 208.20 score.

In the men’s 3m springboard, Malaysia’s Chew Yi Wei was out of sorts in the preliminaries as his last two disastrous executions left him floundering in 17th place.

He was only saved from a last place finish because New Zealand’s Li Fengyang retired midway through the event.

Yi Wei posted a low 282.70 total, with his fifth and sixth dives only bringing in very low scores of 24.50 and 13.30 respectively.

“It was all fine until the last two dives, I got only ‘1s’ and ‘2s’ for those two attempts,” said Yi Wei.

“It’s very disappointing. I’m still struggling with the two high DD (degree of difficulty) dives. I need to work on that.”

Nazreen, Siew Hui Named Sportsboy, Sportsgirl for 2013

BY MERVIN MENON

Mohd Nazreen Abdullah and Yap Siew Hui with their MOE-MSSM-Milo Sports Awards.

PUTRAJAYA: It was a day to remember for aquatics when diver Mohd Nazreen Abdullah and swimmer Yap Siew Hui were named the National Sportsboy and Sportsgirl respectively at the Education Ministry (MOE)-Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM)-Milo Sports Awards 2013.

The duo received their awards from Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at a leading hotel here on Wednesday.

The 16-year-old Nazreen was rewarded for his outstanding performances in local and overseas competitions, including bagging two gold medals in the 10m synchronised diving and 10m platform at the fifth Asian Diving Cup in Singapore. He also took part in the second Asian Youth Games in Nanjing and the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney.

Nazreen was delighted with the award and hopes to continue to excel in the sport.

Siew Hui, also 16, won four gold medals last year – two each in the 50m and 100m butterfly events at the third Islamic World Solidarity Games in Palembang, Indonesia, and the 37th SEA Age Group Swimming Championships in Brunei. She was also a member of the bronze-medal winning team in the 4x100m medley relay event in the Myanmar SEA Games.

“I’m very happy and excited to have received this award ... actually, it was totally unexpected,” said Siew Hui.

“Next week, there is the MSSM competition. As for international events, there are the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games this year. I need to push myself harder in training so that I can qualify for these two major events.”

Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, was full of praise for the winners.

“I would like to congratulate each and every one of the award winners for their stellar performances in 2013,” he said.

“I am sure that the nation is looking forward to seeing them representing us on a grander stage one day. I hope that the efforts from Milo and MSSM will inspire our youths to go further in their sports careers as well as in their lives.”

Roll of Honour

NATIONAL AWARD

Sportsboy: Mohd Nazreen Abdullah (diving)

Sportsgirl: Yap Siew Hui (swimming)

MOST PROMISING AWARD

Boy: Mohd Hafiz Zhafri Abdul Harif (squash)

Girl: Amisha Sofia Azli (rhythmic gymnastics)

SPECIAL AWARD

Boy: Nur Muhammad Izham Mazwi (shooting)

Girl: Phoon Eyin (wushu)

SPECIAL EDUCATION AWARD

Boy: Mohd Solehuddin Azizan (Paragames track and field)

Girl: Nurul Nadia Latif (Paragames track and field)

SPORTS LEADERSHIP AWARD

Tan Sri Abdul Ghafar Mahmud

DEDICATED TEACHER AWARD

The late Na’aman Mohd Shah (track and field)

Chee Shin Lian (table tennis)

Diver Zhiayi Qualifies For Youth Olympics

Filepic of Loh Zhiayi. She qualified for the Youth Olympics in August after finishing 7th at the qualifying tournament in Mexico over the weekend.

PETALING JAYA: Loh Zhiayi failed to secure a medal but managed to secure Malaysia a berth at the Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China, in August.

In the Youth Olympic qualifiers for diving in Guadalajara, Mexico, over the weekend, Zhiayi finished seventh in the girls’ platform final.

She was in contention for a medal as she was placed third with two dives to go. But the Asian Youth Games silver medallist failed to score well enough in her last two dives, chalking only 48.00 and 62.40 attempts for a 402.80 total.

Huang Xiaohui of China won with 487.95 points. Mexican Alejandra Orozco, who bagged the silver in the 10m platform synchro at the 2012 London Olympics, took the silver with 480.35 points. Ingrid Oliveira of Brazil finished third with a 411.55 total.

But the goods news was that the 16-year-old Zhiayi ensured Malaysia a representative in diving for the second consecutive time at the Youth Olympics. All the top nine divers are automatic qualifiers for the Nanjing competition.

Malaysia coach Yang Zhuliang was pleased Zhiayi did everything in the book to earn Malaysia the quota spot.

“Zhiayi used the same difficulty level as when she competed at the Asian Youth Games in Nanjing last year.

“She did well to make the final and finish in the top nine to qualify for the Youth Olympics.

“It was her only chance as she would not be eligible in four years’ time,” said Zhuliang.

Mohd Nazreen, however, failed in his bid to earn a quota spot for Malaysia in the boys’ 3m springboard.

Nazreen, a two-gold medallist in his SEA Games debut in Myanmar last December, finished 13th in the preliminaries with 466.55 points.

Rodrigo Diego Lopez earned cheers for hosts Mexico by winning with a 630.75 total

For the record, Pandelela Rinong made history for Malaysia when she captured two silvers in the girls’ 3m springboard and 10m platform at the inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore in 2010.

NSC Back-up Athletes' Gathering

25 - 27 February 2014

Universiti Teknologi Mara, 

Shah Alam 

Selangor

No	ATHLETES	CLASS
1.	Hanis Nazirul b. Jaya Surya	1 Commonwealth
2.	Gabriel Gilbert Daim	1 Commonwealth
3.	Jellson Jabillin	1 Commonwealth
4.	Muhammad Syahmi b. Mohd Rezal	1 Commonwealth
5.	Megan Elizabeth Teoh	1 Olympic
6.	Ng Zheng Ni	2 Olympic

Dhabitah On Course For Asiad and C’wealth bow

PETALING JAYA: Young diver Nur Dhabitah Sabri has put herself in line for a place in the individual 10m platform event alongside the illustrious Pandelela Rinong at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games following a strong performance at the German Grand Prix in Rostock.

The 15-year-old Dhabitah managed to clear the semi-finals of the individual 10m platform at a World Grand Prix meet for the first time.

Dhabitah scored 302.85 points en route to a fourth spot in the preliminaries. The top 12 divers advanced to the semis but Dhabitah’s run was halted when she could only finish fifth in her semi-final grouping with 269.20 points.

The top three divers from the two semi-final groupings progressed to the final, which was eventually won by China’s Qian Ren with 353.40 points.

China completed a 1-2 sweep with Jie Lian taking the silver with 344.25 points while Ukrainian Jullia Prokopchuk was third with a 325.55 total.

Dhabitah, in fact, outshined her more experienced team-mate Traisy Vivien Tukiet, who competed at the 2012 London Olympics. Traisy failed to qualify for the semi-finals and was only placed 16th in the preliminaries with 260.55 points.

Coach Yang Zhuliang was full of praise for Dhabitah.

“Dhabitah performed better than Traisy for the second time at the Grand Prix level.

“Dhabitah had a very good chance to make the final as she was lying in third position with one dive to go in the semis. But she flopped the last dive and earned less than 20 points. Her nerves failed her but I still think it’s a good performance for Dhabitah,” said Zhuliang.

With more experience, the Chinese coach is convinced his young charge can go far.

“The main assignments this year are the Commonwealth Games (in July) and Asian Games (in September).

“If she improves further in the next few months, she should be going for both Games,” added Zhuliang.

The Kuala Lumpur-born Dhabitah was promoted to the elite squad last year and she made her SEA Games debut in Myanmar in style, bagging gold with Leong Mun Yee in the 10m platform synchro.

In Rostock, Dhabitah was also entered for the individual 3m springboard but did not qualify for the semis. Dhabitah and Adeline Chin finished 15th (227.85 points) and 18th (223.65 points) respectively.

Chew Yi Wei, the only Malaysian male diver in the fray, was placed 26th in the individual 3m springboard prelimaries with a 326.45 total.

Dhabitah’s Not Taking It Easy In Germany

PETALING JAYA: All eyes will be on young diver Dhabitah Nur Sabri when she takes the plunge in the German Grand Prix in Rostock this weekend.

The German meet is the second leg of this year season’s World Grand Prix Circuit and Malaysia, one of the 26 competing nations, will be represented by six divers. Besides Dhabitah, the other female divers are Olympian Trasie Vivien Tukiet, Kam Ling Kar, Adeline Chin and Jasmine Lai. Chew Yi Wei is the sole male representative.

Dhabitah will be competing in the individual 10m platform. In the 10m platform synchro, she will partner Trasie for the first time.

The 15-year-old Dhabitah will be using a difficult routine this time and it will be interesting to see whether she can hold her own against a strong cast.

She did well in her maiden appearance at the World Grand Prix Circuit in Fort Lauderdale, the United States, in May last year. She finished 14th, missing the semi-finals by only two spots.

Dhabitah then went on to claim two golds at the Asian Diving Cup in Singapore. She ended the year with a bang, clinching gold in the 10m platform synchro with Leong Mun Yee in her SEA Games debut in Myanmar.

National coach Yang Zhuliang believes Dhabitah can make an impact in Rostock.

“We started Dhabitah on a higher degree of difficulty (DD), which is even higher than for Olympic bronze medallist Pandelela Rinong.

“She did not use the routine in the SEA Games as it was not necessary at that level. But I was happy she did not let her nerves get the better of her at the Games.

“This will be the first diving competition for the year and we hope to see some good results.

“It is not going to be easy for Dhabitah to get a medal in the individual as older and experienced divers are there. We may have a chance in the women’s 10m platform synchro.

“I hope to see all our divers polish their dives. Their performances will give us an idea of where we stand ahead of the Commonwealth and Asian Games later this year,” said Zhuliang.

The divers left for Rostock from Guangzhou, China on Monday night. The national team have been training in China for the last three weeks.

Besides Rostock, Dhabitah and company will also be competing in the Canada Grand Prix in Gatineau (May 1-4), Singapore (Oct 17-19) and Kuala Lumpur (Oct 24-26).

Boredom Fails To Dim Pandalela’s Determination

A file picture of Pandelela Rinong. She feels that the centralised training early in the year is important for her success.

KUALA LUMPUR: Boredom is sinking in but national diving queen Pandelela Rinong is doing all she can to enjoy her one-month training in Guangzhou without any disruptions.

The one-month training is crucial in preparing her to face an exciting year in diving - with her ultimate goal of making a great splash in every single tournament - whether it is a small or major one.

The diving team, led by Pandelela, arrived in Guangzhou with coach Zhang Yuliang about a week before Chinese New Year (on Jan 25) and their first assignment is the opening leg of the FINA World Series in Beijing, China, from March 14-16.

It will be followed by five other legs in Dubai (March 20-22), London (April 25-27), Moscow (May 2-4), Windsor (May 30-June 1) and Monterrey (June 6-8). And there are other majors like the World Cup in Shanghai, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Asian Games in Incheon.

Pandelela said that the centralised training early in the year was important as the right focus during this time would be the key to success.

“Training here is really good but it can be quite boring,” said the 20-year-old, referring to her daily routine of going in and out of the diving pool to fine-tune her performances.

“I did not celebrate Chinese New Year but it was good to spend some time with my fellow divers enjoying the festive season here. During my free time, I try to catch up on my favourite television shows - Gossip Girl and Supernatural ... it keeps me entertained,” quipped the 2012 Olympic Games bronze medallist.

A fun-loving person by nature, Pandelela knows the importance of striking a balance in order not to burn out.

“There are a lot of tournaments this year and I plan to do well in all of them. I plan to enter every tournament with the aim of breaking records and improving my personal best,” she added.

Last year, Pandelela did well in the World Series when she completed the season as the second best in the overall standings. At the last Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, she delivered a gold medal in the individual platform event and at the Asiad in Guangzhou, her best effort was winning one silver in the 10m platform synchro.

It will be a tall order for Pandelela to maintain or surpass her achievements but if her determination is anything to go by, one can bank on the Sarawakian lass to shine in all her three events (3m springboard synchro, individual 10m platform and synchronised), in all the stops at the World Series and at both the major Games.

Besides Pandelela, the other women divers currently based in China are Cheong Jun Hoong, Wendy Ng, Nur Dhabitah Sabri, Traisy Vivien Tukiet, Leong Mun Yee, Loh Zhiayi, Adeline Chin, Kam Ling Kar and Jasmine Lai. The men are Ahmad Amsyar Azman, Chew Yiwei, Mohd Danial Sabri, Mohd Nazreen Abdullah, Ooi Tze Liang and Sylvester Gaing.

Junior Dvers To Be Given Exposure This Year

Nur Dhabitah Sabri (left) and Leong Mun Yee during their event at the Myanmar SEA Games last month. Dhabitah is one of the divers who will be participating in the German GP in Rostock next month.

PETALING JAYA: It is not just the senior divers who will be making a splash this year. The juniors will also be given a chance to make their presence felt on the world stage.

It will be a busy year ahead for divers in the national set-up with the Diving World Series, World Cup, Asian and Commonwealth Games lined up.

Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (Asum) secretary Edwin Chong said the second echelon of divers will not be ignored either.

The Diving World Series will kick off with the first of six legs in Beijing from March until May.

July will see the divers aiming for glory at the World Cup in Shanghai before they head to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games.

Then it’s off to the Asian Games in September.

Malaysia will also be making a bid to qualify one male and one female diver for the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in August through the qualifiers in Guadalajara, Mexico, in March.

“We will start sending the younger divers out to more assignments. They will be going to four World Grand Prix meets this year.

“The level of competition is high but it will be a good place to start establishing themselves and get noticed by the judges.

“It is important we have representation at the overseas Grand Prix as impressions matter in diving.

“Besides, Malaysia will be hosting a Grand Prix leg for the first time later this year.

“We also need the second echelon divers to come up and start bridging the gap between them and the seniors.

“We can’t depend on the seniors for every major international competition,” he said.

The National Sports Council has given the divers the green light to participate in the German GP in Rostock from Feb 21-23, the Canadian GP in Gatineau from May 1-4, the Singapore GP from Oct 17-19 and, naturally, the Malaysian GP from Oct 24-26.

The Grand Prix calendar this year comprises eight legs.

The divers who will be heading to Rostock are SEA Games double gold medallist Nur Dhabitah Sabri, Trasie Vivien Tukiet, Kam Ling Kar, Jasmine Lai, Adeline Chin and Chew Yi Wei.

The national divers are undergoing a month-long training stint in Guangzhou in preparation for this year’s assignments.

Wendy Gets To Dive With Three Different Partners

Diver Wendy Ng Yan Yee, who competed in the individual events at the Barcelona World Championships last year, will be been paired with three different partners in various important tournaments this year. - Filepic

KUALA LUMPUR: Diver Wendy Ng Yan Yee will have three different partners in her quest for glory this year.

Wendy will combine with rising star Dhabitah Nur Sabri for the 3m springboard synchro and with Traisie Vivien Tukiet in the 10m platform synchro in their bid to finish on the rostrum at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July.

But for the Diving World Series, which will kick off with the first of six legs in Beijing in March, Wendy is sticking to her regular partner Cheong Jun Hoong for the 3m springboard synchro.

Wendy enjoyed a breakthrough season with Jun Hoong in the prestigious Diving World Series last year, garnering three bronze medals in the 3m springboard synchro.

However, Wendy suffered a big blow as she was not picked for the syncro events at the World Championships in Barcelona. Jun Hoong was paired with Pandelela Rinong and the duo finished fifth. Jun Hoong also partnered Pandelela at the London Olympics in 2012.

The divers left for Guangzhou on Saturday and will spend Chinese New Year there next week as they go through a month long training stint.

This will allow head coach Yang Zhuliang the option to prepare two pairs for both springboard and platform synchro events at the Commonwealth Games.

Pandelela-Jun Hoong will remain as the country’s first pairing in the 3m springboard synchro. Pandelela will also double up for the 10m platform synchro as well with Leong Mun Yee.

Zhuliang felt opting for this will give Wendy the chance to prove her worth alongside the seniors.

“Both Pandelela and Jun Hoong have the same body structure. This is an important for synchro diving. But Wendy will not be left out.

“Each country can enter two pairs at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July.

“We have a good chance to get both medals for springboard and platform synchro events if we prepare

well.

“Wendy will train together with her new partners when we start our training in Guangzhou on Monday.

“But for the world series, Wendy will still be with Jun Hoong as they earned their spot in the first

place.”

The male divers going to Guangzhou are Ahmad Amsyar, Chew Yiwei, Mohd Danial Sabri, Mohd Nazreen, newcomer Sylvester Gaing and Myanmar SEA Games triple gold medallist Ooi Tze Liang.

The female divers are Pandelela, Trasie, Mun Yee, Jun Hoong, Wendy, Dhabitah, Loh Zhiayi, Adeline Chin, Kam Ling Kar and Jasmine Lai.

Zhuliang added Yiwei, Dhabitah, Ling Kar, Jasmine, Adeline and Trasie will go for the German Grand Prix in Rostock next month while Nazreen, Danial and Zhiayi have the Youth Olympic Games qualifiers in Guadalajara, Mexico, at the same time.

The seniors, meanwhile, will stay back for the first leg of the Diving World Series in Beijing from March 14-16.

“The China training stint is crucial for the divers to improvise on their dives without distractions. There are many competitions for the divers this year.

“Besides the Grand Prix and Diving World Series, the divers also have the World Cup (in Shanghai in July) and the Incheon Asian Games (in September),” said Zhuliang.

Team Diving Training Camps & Competitions

No	ATHLETES	CLASS	OVERSEA TRAINING	COMPETITIONS	DURATION OF LEAVE
1.	Loh Zhiayi	5 SEA	Dali & Guangzhou, China 15 Jan – 24 Feb 2014	‘2ND YOUTH OLYMPIC QUALIFYING GAMES’ Mexico 1 – 2 Mar 2014	15 Jan – 5 Mar 2014
2.	Muhammad Nazreen b. Abdullah	4 SUKMA
3.	Muhammad Danial b. Sabri (Did not leave- Injury)	5 Asia
4.	Nur Dhabitah bt. Sabri	3 Asia	Dali & Guangzhou, China 18 Jan – 16 Feb 2014	‘FINA DIVING GRAND PRIX’ Jerman 21 – 23 Feb 2014	18 Jan – 26 Feb 2014
5.	Adeline Chin Wei Ling	3 Olimpik
6.	Kam Ling Kar	Pre U Arts 2
7.	Jasmine Lai Pui Yee	Pre U Arts 2

Scrawny Sylvester Is A Boy In A Hurry

16-year old Sylvester Gaing from Sarawak has been drafted into the elite national diving squad because the coaches see huge potential in him.

KUALA LUMPUR: It’s not often that one can get off scot-free for being late for work or training.

But young diver Sylvester Gaing can breathe easy after arriving late for training on Wednesday.

His excuse? Well, the 16-year-old had to rush to apply for an international passport in the morning so that he will be able to leave with the seniors on Saturday for a month-long training stint in Guangzhou.

Sylvester has been fast tracked into the national elite squad, making him the third Sarawak diver after London Olympic bronze medallist Pandelela Rinong and Trasie Vivien Tukiet.

He is the only one promoted this year and, if everything goes according to plan, Sylvester, who only joined the Pelapis (back-up) programme last November, will be heading to Glasgow with the team for the Commonwealth Games in July.

He may be scrawny and yet to develop a stronger body but head coach Yang Zhuliang sees the potential in him to be groomed into one of the top divers for the country.

In fact, Zhuliang is targeting to get Sylvester ready by the time the Commonwealth Games swing into action in July.

“If you ask me now, he is definitely not ready for any international competitions. That’s why we moved him straight from Pelapis to the elite squad so that we can work on him for the next six months,” said Zhuliang.

“The Commonwealth Games offers more chances for our divers to pick up medals, with two pairs for synchro and three entries for individual.

“Sylvester must first develop the set of dives in China and improve on it from there.

“He has good potential in platform and I hope he can be like Bryan Nickson Lomas one day.

“We do not have enough male divers now in the senior team and I hope Sylvester proves me right.”

Sylvester, who is from the Iban community, was delighted to hear of his rapid move up the ranks but he is also aware that he has a long way to go before he can become as good as his idol Bryan.

Sylvester has yet to win a medal even in Sukma (Malaysia Games). His best effort was a fourth placing in the platform event at the Malacca Sukma in 2010. He did not take part in Kuantan two years ago.

“I’m definitely going to the Perlis Sukma in May ... the pressure will be on me to deliver medals now that I am in the national elite team,” said Sylvester.

“It’s good but also a heavy burden to shoulder in the national team.

“I’m looking forward to going outside the country this weekend and my parents are happy for me.

“Right now, the coach has not decided whether I’m to focus on springboard or platform ... he only wants me to work hard.”

Sylvester’s presence makes it six male divers in the national team. The others are Ahmad Amsyar, Chew Yiwei, Mohd Danial Sabri, Mohd Nazreen and Myanmar SEA Games triple gold medallist Ooi Tze Liang.

There are a total of 10 woman divers in the team – Pandelela, Trasie, Leong Mun Yee, Cheong Jun Hoong, Wendy Ng Yan Yee, Dhabitah Nur Sabri, Loh Zhiayi, Adeline Chin, Kam Ling Kar and Jasmine Lai.

The divers will head separately to three different competitions starting from next month. Yiwei, Dhabitah, Ling Kar, Jasmine, Adeline and Trasie will go for the German Grand Prix in Rostock while Nazreen, Danial and Zhiayi have the Youth Olympic Games qualifiers in Guadalajara.

The seniors will get ready for the Diving World Series, with the first of six legs kicking off in Beijing from March 14-16.

Teenage Diver Nazreen Is Going Places

National diver Nazreen Abdullah has been picked to compete in the Youth Olympic Games qualification tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico, from March 1-2. - Filepic

PETALING JAYA: Youngster Nazreen Abdullah, who won two diving gold medals in his debut SEA Games in Myanmar last month, is going places.

The 15-year-old, Malaysia’s top hope to replace Olympian Bryan Nickson Lomas in the platform discipline, has been picked to compete in the Youth Olympic Games qualification tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico, from March 1-2.

The top nine finishers for each discipline will qualify for the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, in August.

Besides Nazreen, the Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (Asum) have also picked Mohd Danial to take part in the boys’ springboard and Loh Zhiayi in the girls’ springboard and platform events.

Zhiayi was the silver medallist behind Pandelela Rinong in the 10m platform individual at the Myanmar Games last month.

Nazreen, who stands at only 1.47m, sees the retired Bryan as his idol.

“I hope to be as good as him one day.

“I’m now more confident after the SEA Games outing. My senior (Ooi) Tze Liang is also helping me out in training,” said Nazreen.

Nazreen pulled off a surprise at the Games by getting the better of the more experienced Tze Liang to win the 10m platform individual. He then went on to claim a second gold with Tze Liang in the 10m platform synchro.

Nazreen, Danial and Zhiayi are slated to join the seniors in training in China later this month before leaving for Mexico.

For the record, Malaysia bagged two silvers through Pandelela Rinong in the girls’ springboard and platform in the inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore four years ago.