Bertrand gets last-minute call-up for national duty

PETALING JAYA: Bertrand Rhodict (pic) will get his chance to compete at the SEA Games stage after all.

The 18-year-old has been included in the squad at the eleventh hour and thus will be making his SEA Games debut in Hanoi.

Bertrand, who is of Bidayuh heritage, will join Ong Ker Ying as SEA Games debutants in the Malaysian diving team.

Malaysia Swimming secretary Mae Chen said the diving team will comprise seven male and five female divers for the Hanoi Games competition after the organisers allowed the inclusion of two additional members due to the Covid-19 situation.

Besides Bertrand, the male team comprises Ooi Tze Liang, Chew Yiwei, Mohd Syafiq Puteh, Jellson Jabilin, Hanis Nazirul Jaya Surya and Gabriel Gilbert Daim.

Two-time Olympics medal winner Pandelela Rinong leads the women’s side, which also comprises Nur Dhabitah Sabri, Wendy Ng Yan Yee, Kimberly Bong and Ker Ying.

The diving team led by China coach Li Rui left for Hanoi yesterday where the divers are expected to grab the early limelight with the competition starting from Sunday till May 11.

“Only 10 members were previously allowed but this is in case of anyone having to withdraw because of Covid-19 regulations.

“Bertrand will be the second diver for the men’s 1m springboard individual behind Tze Liang.

“Our strategy is to put our strongest diver first to ensure Malaysia the best chance to get the gold and we name our second diver for Games exposure,” said Mae.

Bertrand will be delighted as he and Enrique Maccartney Harold had to make way earlier for the more experienced Jellson Jabillin-Hanis Nazirul Jaya Surya to be named the sole pair for the men’s 10m platform synchro event.

Bertrand will thus be the first Sarawak male diver to compete at the SEA Games since Bryan Nickson Lomas, who last dived for the nation in Indonesia in 2011.

The diving squad will be on a mission to make a clean sweep of all eight titles at stake in Hanoi.

The 10m platform individual events will not be contested at the SEA Games diving competition in Hanoi but will be replaced by the 1m springboard individual.

In the Philippines, only four diving events were contested - the individual and synchro events for springboard. The Malaysian diving team bagged all four gold medals there.