Malaysian Divers Face China Hurdle In Asian Cup Meet

Chinese diver He Zi who won silver in the 3m springboard event at the World Championships in Russia in June. - AFP

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia have their work cut out for them in their bid to win extra Olympic spots in the Asian Diving Cup, which begins at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil on Friday.

Giants China are sending their second stringers here, spearheaded by He Zi, who claimed silvers in the women’s 1m and 3m springboard at the World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, Russia, in June.

And national coach Yang Zhuliang has conceded they’re no pushovers.

Only the four individual winners – men and women’s 3m springboard and 10m platform – will make the cut for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics next year.

“China have already earned their full quota of eight spots (two for each individual event) from the world meet in Kazan, but they are still taking the Asian Cup seriously.

“China have sent their juniors with some of them making their debuts. They have also entered 13-year-old Zi Shiyue, who is the national champion for the women’s 10m platform. She is an exciting prospect, having beaten Olympic champion Chen Ruolin.

“Despite sending their second stringers, China are still the favourites in all the events,” added Zhuliang.

To date, Malaysia have earned two individual slots for the Olympics through Pandelela Rinong and Wendy Ng at the World Championships. 

Pandelela won a bronze in the 10m platform while Wendy earned her spot after finishing eighth in the 3m springboard.

“It will be great if we can get one or two more divers to qualify. Our focus here is on the four individual events, and not the synchro,” said the coach.

With Pandelela given a break, Nur Dhabitah Sabri and Loh Zhiayi will compete in the women’s 10m platform.

Cheong Jun Hoong, who skipped the world meet to recover from her heel injuries, will return to take part in the women’s 3m springboard with Dhabitah.

Ooi Tze Liang and Ahmad Amsyar will focus on the men’s 3m springboard. Tze Liang will also compete in the men’s 10m platform with Chew Yiwei.

The other nations competing here include Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Malaysia’s Next Gen Divers Sweep The Board In Taiwan

Wendy Ng, one of the national divers who took part in the Taiwan Diving Invitational in Taipei over the weekend. - Filepic

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s next generation of Olympic hopefuls impressed with a 10-gold sweep at the Taiwan Diving Invitational in Taipei over the weekend.

And following their good performances, four juniors – Muhammad Syahmi Mohd Rezal, Hanis Nazirul Jaya Surya, Muhd Syafiq Puteh and Jellson Jabilin – are set to get a piece of the action in the Asian Diving Cup at Bukit Jalil from Sept 4-6.

Syafiq impressed with a three-gold feat in Taipei. Besides clinching the men’s 3m springboard individual title, the 20-year-old also partnered Wendy Ng Yan Yee to win the mixed 3m springboard synchro and combined with Nazirul for the men’s 3m springboard synchro crown.  

Wendy also won the women’s 3m springboard title. She is set to feature in the Rio Olympics next year after finishing eighth in the 3m springboard individual at the World Aquatics Championships in Kazan recently.

Jasmine Lai-Kam Ling Kar took the women’s 3m springboard synchro title while the other gold medals came from Syahmi (boys’ platform), Hanis (boys’ 3m springboard), Jellson (boys’ 1m springboard), Ling Kar (women’s 1m springboard) and Traisy Vivien Tukiet (women’s 10m platform),

The Asian Diving Cup is a continental qualifying event for the Olympics, with the respective four individual winners – men and women’s 3m springboard and 10m platform – making the cut for the Olympics.

China have already earned the full quota of eight spots at stake (two for each individual event) from the world meet in Kazan and will not be sending their national divers for the Asian Diving Cup.

“This is the chance for our top divers, like Ooi Tze Liang, Cheong Jun Hoong and Dhabitah Nur Sabri, to try to fight for an Olympic ticket at the Asian Diving Cup,” said Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (Asum) secretary Mae Chen.

“We’re likely to expose our juniors like Syahmi, Hanis, Syafiq and Jellson in the Asian Diving Cup. We want them to experience competing in a major event as they are our hopes for the future.” 

Diver Tze Liang Goes Solo In Olympic Push

National diver Ooi Tze Liang (second from left) and artistic gymnast Farah Ann Abdul Hadi with their prize during the incentive presentation for the Singapore SEA Games medal winners at Putrajaya on Wednesday. - MOHD SAHAR MISNI/ The STAR

KUALA LUMPUR: Ooi Tze Liang will only focus on the men’s individual 3m springboard and 10m platform at the Asian Diving Cup in Bukit Jalil from Sept 4-6 to realise his Olympic dream.

Tze Liang led the divers to receive RM159,000 under the National Sports Council’s (NSC) incentive scheme for their total haul of eight golds and three bronzes at the Singapore SEA Games in June.

Tze Liang collected a handsome cheque of RM50,000 for his four-gold sweep in Singapore.

The 20-year-old from Penang won two synchro titles – with Chew Yiwei in the 10m platform and Ahmad Amsyar Azman in the 3m springboard. Tze Liang also retained his 3m springboard individual title and finished off by winning the 10m platform to chalk his best-ever achievement at SEA Games level.

The SEA Games contingent were feted to a reception to celebrate their success in bagging 62 golds, 58 silvers and 66 bronzes at Putrajaya on Wednesday night.

For Tze Liang, he will now focus his attention on the Asian Diving Cup.

“It’s the continental qualification event for the Rio Olympics next year. But I will only focus on the individual events this time as only the individual winners get to qualify for the Games.

“China have already earned the full quota of eight individual spots at the World Aquatics Championships (in Kazan, Russia, early this month), so they’re not sending their divers. In their absence, I hope to take full advantage of earning an Olympic spot,” said Tze Liang.

Tze Liang had a disappointing outing in Kazan. He botched one of his dives in the 10m platform individual preliminaries and could only finish 22nd. Only the top 12 finalists qualify for Rio and Tze Liang rued the missed chance.

“I would have reached the top 18 semi-finals if I did not mess up my landing on the fourth dive.

“But I’m not giving up my dream of making my Olympic debut. I will learn from my mistakes.”

Besides the Asian Cup, Tze Liang can still qualify via the World Cup in Rio next February.

THE PAYOUT 

By Sport: Diving (RM159,000), swimming (RM76,000), synchronised swimming (RM33,500), archery (RM111,000), badminton (RM60,000), basketball (RM60,000), billiards and snooker (RM40,000), bowling (RM127,000), cycling (RM33,000), equestrian (RM24,000), fencing (RM2,000), floorball (RM5,000), artistic gymnastics (RM81,000), rhythmic gymnastics (RM44,500), hockey (RM180,000), judo (RM5,000), netball (RM9,000), pencak silat (RM69,000), petanque (RM39,000), rowing (RM1,000), rugby Sevens (RM9,000), sailing (RM162,000), sepaktakraw (RM43,250), shooting (RM70,000), squash (RM86,000), table tennis (RM6,000), taekwondo (RM12,000), tennis (RM2,000), triathlon (RM3,000), waterski (RM38,500), wushu (RM53,000)

Top individual recipients

1. Ooi Tze Liang (diving) - RM50,000 (four golds)
2. Fatin Nurfatehah Mat Salleh (archery) - RM35,000 (three golds)
3. Rafiq Ismail (bowling) - RM34,666 (three golds, one silver)
4. Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah (waterski) - RM34,000 (two golds, one silver)
5. Farah Ann Abdul Hadi (artistic gymnastics) - RM30,000 (two golds, one silver, three bronzes)
6. Mohd Harrif Saleh (road cycling) - RM30,000 (two golds)