Sarawak’s kid “Phelps” is a swimming sensation

Sarawak U-12 swimmer Hii Wei Puong in action in the boys' freestyle event during this year's MSSM competition.

SHAH ALAM: Hii Wei Puong’s favourite swimmer is multiple Olympic champion Michael Phelps of the United States.

And the 12-year-old Sarawakian is showing that he is born to swim just like his American idol.

For someone who did not win a single event last year, Wei Puong is on the verge of achieving a rare feat in the MSSM (national schools) swimming championships after bagging three more gold medals in the boys’ 12 and below category at the Shah Alam Aquatic Centre on Tuesday.

That brings his total thus far to an astonishing nine.

The SRK Chung Hwa student started his big splash by winning four events on Sunday – in the 50m breaststroke, 50m butterfly. 100m backstroke and 200m freestyle. Then, on Monday, he added two more golds in the 100m breaststroke and 100m butterfly races.

And he’s not done yet.

The Kuching schoolboy can achieve a rare sweep of all 10 individual titles at stake in his age-group by winning the 50m freestyle on Wednesday.

Wei Puong can also take his tally to a maximum 12 gold medals if Sarawak win the two relay races (200m medley and 200m freestyle) on Thursday.

However, Wei Puong, whose father Hii Tuang Sing represented the country at the SEA Games in the 1980s, is not thinking that far ahead.

“I just want to enjoy my swimming. I love swimming and my father is the one who encouraged me to take up the sport actively when I was seven. I played badminton too but I guess I’m better in swimming.

“My father represented the national team ... I hope to follow in his footsteps one day,” said the soft-spoken Wei Puong, who trains six times a week under coach Gary Low.

Selangor’s Yeap Zheng Yang was the only record-breaker on Tuesday.

His time of 2:11.33 in the boys’ 200m individual medley of the 16-18 age group smashed KLite Ian James Barr’s previous mark of 2:11.42 set in 2011.