New strategy to dive into as only four gold medals on offer at SEA Games

Asian Age-Group Championships gold medallist Lee Yiat Qing

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia will have to draw a new battle plan to maintain their dominance in diving with SEA Games hosts Thailand not giving consideration to include more Olympic events.

Only four gold medals are up for grabs in the SEA Games diving competition. There will be three events for men – 1m and 3m springboard individual and also 3m springboard synchro while the only competition for women will be the 10m platform synchro.

Malaysian diving technical director Yeoh Ken Nee said the events are already finalised for the SEA Games and they will wait for the technical handbook to be distributed for confirmation.

“11 events were actually proposed for diving but only four were accepted, so we respect the decision of the host nation,” said the former Olympic diver.

“I understand that the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) and National Sports Council (NSC) have the preference to give exposure to the divers under the age of 23 but nothing has been finalised yet.

“But at the same time, it will also likely depend on what’s the target given for us. If our target is to secure all the gold medals, then the final team will likely be a mix of seniors and juniors, so we’ll see later.’’

For the women’s 10m platform synchro, former Olympic medallist diver Pandelela Rinong has been paired up with teenager Lee Yiat Qing (pic), who won the women’s 10m platform individual event at the last SEA Games in Cambodia two years ago, after Nur Dhabitah Sabri decided to stick to only springboard events.

However, Pandelela is not a certainty for the SEA Games together with Yiat Qing as the pair will have to fight it out with Eilisha Rania and Nur Farisya Alia Affendi, the Malaysia Games (Sukma) gold medallists in Sarawak last year.

Even Mohd Syafiq Puteh is uncertain of defending his men’s 3m springboard title as he will have to fight it out with younger divers like Elvis Priestly Anak Clement, Gabriel Gilbert Daim, Jellson Jabillin, Nurqayyum Nazmi Mohd Nazim and Yong Rui Jie.

“Syafiq and Gabriel will have to fight it out for the men’s 3m springboard synchro slot with the younger pairing from KL, Nurqayyum-Rui Jie.

“We have the national trials for diving in May in Bukit Jalil and the results will determine who goes for the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore in July and also the SEA Games.”

Malaysia have been SEA Games overall champions for diving since the 2005 edition in the Philippines.