KUALA LUMPUR – As Malaysia anticipates Nur Dhabitah Sabri to make a splash in the 3-metre springboard diving event today, the nation also celebrates Nor Aznizal Najib, who becomes the first local coach to lead the national diving team at the Olympics.
Speaking to Scoop, the national diving squad’s technical director, Bryan Nickson Lomas, explained that selecting Aznizal was a strategic move to showcase local talent after years of relying on foreign expertise.
Aznizal, a former national athlete, was mentored by Malaysia’s former diving supremo, Yang Zhu Liang.
He has continued the teachings of the Chinese coach by sharing them with young athletes while serving as an instructor at the Perak State Sports Council.
“Initially, we intended to send Chinese coach Li Junbai, but he faced health issues. Datuk Leong Mun Yee is currently coaching the backup squad, so we felt Aznizal was the best candidate to lead Dhabitah and Rhodict (Benedict Lises),” said Bryan.
“In my view, sending Aznizal to such a major sporting event demonstrates the credibility and expertise of our local coaches. Aznizal is not new to this role, having coached in Perak for over 18 years.
“Moreover, I received reports from Paris that Dhabitah has adapted well to Aznizal’s techniques, which I think is a positive development.
“This exposure is excellent for local coaches and a sign that they have the opportunity to develop their coaching talents internationally and not remain stuck at the state level due to a lack of opportunities.”
Previously, Zhu Liang, who was hired in 2001, played a crucial role in the national diving team’s success over four Olympic editions, from Athens 2004 to Rio 2016.
Australian-born coach Christian Brooker led the national team for the 2020 edition in Tokyo.
As the national diving team prepares for their campaign, Bryan is pleased to report that Dhabitah has been reaching high scores in practice sessions. He hopes she will advance to the final.
“Based on our simulations, she consistently performs dives that can achieve scores of 270 to 280, which is usually enough to qualify for the final.
“Winning a medal might be challenging, but we won’t know for sure until the actual competition day,” he added.
Three years ago in Tokyo, Dhabitah narrowly missed out on a medal in this event, finishing fourth behind China’s Shi Tingmao.
The silver medal went to Wang Han, while the bronze was claimed by the United States’ Krysta Palmer. – August 7, 2024