PETALING JAYA: All eyes will be on two young Sarawakians Bertrand Rhodict and Enrique Maccartney Harold, who will be making their international debuts in the Malaysia leg of the FINA Diving Grand Prix at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil today.
Also making her first international appearance is Kuala Lumpur-born springboard diver Ong Ker Ying.
Bertrand and Enrique, 13 and 15 respectively, have a chance to make an early impact as they will dive in the men’s 10m platform synchro competition today.
The men’s 10m platform synchro is the first of four finals scheduled on the first day and the duo will be competing with divers from China, Croatia, Australia and Singapore.
Bertrand partnered Enrique to clinch silver in the boys’ synchro platform at the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Ipoh in September.
Bertrand and Enrique are seen as Malaysia’s future hopes and the duo will be out to take advantage of the absence of seniors like Indonesia Asian Games bronze medallist Chew Yiwei and Ahmad Amsyar to shine at the Diving GP meet.
Juniors like Jellson Jabillin and Gabriel Gilbert Daim are also taking a break as they are focusing on their SPM exams.
2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games springboard gold medallist Ooi Tze Liang and Muhd Syafiq Puteh are the only seniors diving in the men’s springboard competition.
It will be hard for 2014 Youth Olympic silver medallist Loh Zhiayi, Traisy Vivien Tukiet and Kimberly Bong to make headway in the women’s competition with the seniors giving the meet a miss.
“The season is already over for divers like Nur Dhabitah Sabri and Leong Mun Yee while Pandelela Rinong, Cheong Jun Hoong and Wendy Ng Yan Yee are recuperating from injuries.
“This is the chance for the juniors to compete so that they know where they stand against the international divers,” said Mae Chen, the Amateur Swimming Union Malaysia secretary.
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