KUALA LUMPUR – Former national diver and five-time Olympian Datuk Leong Mun Yee believes there is still a significant gap between Malaysia’s national backup team and the elite squad.
Due to this disparity, the 39-year-old feels it will take time before Malaysia can start winning medals at major international events, such as the Olympics.
Since diving became a medal sport at the 1904 St Louis Olympics, Malaysia has only won two medals.
The first was a bronze, won by Datuk Pandelela Rinong in the women’s 10m platform event at the 2012 London Games, and the second was a silver, won four years later through Pandelela and Cheong Jun Hoong in the women’s 10m synchro.
Appearing as a guest on Scoop and PODaBOOM’s latest podcast, Sport Check, Mun Yee, a former World Championships silver medallist, said: “I think we are lacking in our backup.
“The gap between our backup team and the elite is just too big. Previously, there was also a lack of involvement from the kids and female diving athletes.”
Mun Yee ended her long, illustrious career in 2022. After that, she joined the national setup as a backup coach and started her private diving school.
Explaining further, Mun Yee, who was already part of the 1998 Commonwealth Games project, said diving is a sport that needs all the right boxes ticked. At the moment, not every state has the best facilities.
“Our new technical director (Bryan Nickson Lomas) is trying to get more people involved, but it’s not easy.
“Diving is a sport that needs the right facilities. Some states have the pool, but they don’t have a proper dry gym,” added Mun Yee.
Separately, Mun Yee also pointed out that powerhouses like China are lightyears ahead because of their intensive and very strict training regime.
Add that to a large talent pool, and it is nearly impossible to beat them.
With her experience, Mun Yee would know this, as she and the rest of the national divers back then had numerous training stints in China.
“At the moment, we are not able to match them. Their training is far more intensive than ours.
“They start diving as early as four or five and are already undergoing very intense training. I don’t think we can do that here.
“At my academy, I try to start the kids young, but diving takes a lot of courage. The kids here are okay at the lower level dives – but for 3m and above, not so,” added Mun Yee.
Meanwhile, despite having two divers in Paris – Bertrand Rhodict Lises and Nur Dhabitah Sabri – Mun Yee sees it as a very tall order for them to return with a medal.
“Of course, we want our Malaysians to do well, and we will always support them. However, I think it will be very difficult,” she said.
The full podcast can be found on all PODaBOOM platforms, as well as on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcast. – July 29, 2024