KUALA LUMPUR: The national men's diving team must take advantage of the centralised training stint in Sichuan, China by mastering new routines with higher levels of difficulty if they want to put up a fighting display at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China next month.
National assistant coach, Datuk Leong Mun Yee, however, admitted that it won't be an easy task for all seven male divers who will be competing in the Asiad as they only have about 40 days to learn the new routines.
"The women's level of difficulty is standard because teams like China are just like us, so we hope the men's team can increase their levels of difficulty at the centralised training this time.
"They are learning new dives that can be used at the Asiad, but we have to assess their level of consistency, especially since they only arrived in Sichuan on Sunday (August 20), with two other women divers. Three more women divers will join them next week," she told Bernama.
The winner of two bronze medals at the World Aquatics Championships also said that the coaches will evaluate the men's performances to see if they qualify to be given the green light to apply the new routines at the Asiad.
Mun Yee, however, wants her charges to continue displaying a high level of fighting spirit as she admitted that diving was not a gold mine for Malaysia at the quadrennial Games due to the presence of superpowers China.
She said they have set a realistic target for the national divers, although the Asiad does not offer tickets to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"For all major championships, we must train in China because it is more focused and the facilities are good.
"The Asian Games is not a gold mine because it's not easy to defeat divers from China. However, we are targeting several medals, but not gold medals. Let the relevant people announce the medal target," she said.
The men's squad comprises Ooi Tze Liang, Bertrand Rhodict Lises, Enrique Maccartney Harold, Gabriel Gilbert Daim, Jellson Jabillin, Hanis Nazirul Jaya Surya and Muhammad Syafiq Puteh.
Datuk Pandelela Rinong, Kimberly Bong Qian, Ng Yan Yee, Nur Dhabitah Sabri and Ong Ker Ying make up the women's team.
The 2022 Asian Games will be held from September 23 to October 8. – Bernama