KUALA LUMPUR – Former national diver Bryan Nickson Lomas admits he is not perfect but hopes the new technical and high-performance team for the national diving squad will continue to build on the structural reforms he helped implement.
The 34-year-old resigned as technical director earlier this month after accepting an offer from another Asian country.
His departure was announced just days after former national diver and coach Wendy Ng was reported to have joined Singapore Aquatics as a talent development coach.
Before Bryan was appointed technical director in October 2023, Malaysian diving was in a state of decline.
This included a lack of results at international competitions and significant issues with the development programme.
However, since taking on the role, the Sarawakian, alongside the National Sports Council (NSC) and Malaysia Swimming, has introduced several key changes, including the minimum qualification score (MQS), talent identification (TID) programmes in rural areas, and coaching courses.
“Personally, I believe I am leaving the national diving team in good hands,” Bryan told Scoop.
“When I came in, my role was to help create a solid structure, which wasn’t well organised before. I worked closely with the NSC, Malaysia Swimming, and the high-performance manager to improve this.
“Now, we have the MQS, a better grassroots development programme, and a coaching course, which we didn’t have before.
“I’m not perfect, but I have done my best. I hope the new technical director will recognise that a framework is already in place—something they can build on and improve.”
Bryan stressed the importance of the new technical director working closely with the NSC and Malaysia Swimming to establish clear goals and a long-term vision for the sport.
One of the highlights of Bryan’s tenure was Nurqayyum Nazmi Mohd Nazim’s bronze medal at the 2024 World Junior Diving Championships, ending Malaysia’s 18-year medal drought at the event.
“One of the main things I hope to see continue is the coaching course. Before this, we only had one Level 2 coaching course in 2018.
“Since I joined, our coaches have been able to sit for their Level 1 and even Level 3 courses. We need to maintain this momentum,” he added.
It is understood that Bryan’s new role has been delayed due to visa processing.
Meanwhile, Malaysia Swimming has already identified a replacement, who is expected to start in mid-February. — January 31, 2025