KUALA LUMPUR – The national diving squad’s failure to increase the number of divers for the 2024 Paris Olympics at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, demonstrates a lack of strong replacements for the sport, according to sports analyst Mohd Sadek Mustafa.
He cited the Malaysia Swimming Federation’s (MS) strategic failure to ensure the continuation of the national diving squad’s success in 2012, when Datuk Pandelela Rinong won a silver medal at the London Olympics.
“We can see the swimming association’s failure to plan a programme following the 2012 Olympics, where Pandelela won a medal. If we had produced replacements at the time, the younger divers would be competing now as part of a 12-year plan. They would have matured and competed at world championships.
“The ones competing now should have been the new generation, and Datuk Pandelela’s generation would no longer be there. That is what the European, Chinese, and South American national teams did; everyone competing is from a younger generation, which is why we did not succeed,” he said today.
He said Pandelela should have retired and become a coach to nurture a “second Pandelela” by discovering new talents.
According to Sadek, the Road to Gold (RTG) committee should also consider Bertrand Rhodict Lises, besides focusing on young divers, to shine more on the international stage, as he has qualified for the Paris Olympics, which starts this July.
“Because Pandelela and Nur Dhabitah Sabri did not qualify (for the Paris Olympics), there is no justification for their inclusion in the RTG programme. They must realise this and withdraw from the RTG, giving Bertrand a chance,” he said.
Bertrand, 18, is the only member of the national diving squad who will compete in the men’s 10m platform event at the 2024 Olympics, as prominent names such as Pandelela and Nur Dhabitah did not qualify.
Pandelela failed to qualify for the individual 10m platform and synchronised events (paired with Nur Dhabitah), while Nur Dhabitah did not perform well in the synchronised 3m springboard (paired with Pandelela) and 3m individual springboard events at the ongoing World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar.
Meanwhile, Sadek also suggested that the Malaysia Swimming Federation should implement a programme to scout for new talents nationwide, similar to the Mencari Ramli Programme held to discover new talents for football.
“We don’t have a talent pool under 18 years old, so that’s what we need to find, scour the entire country for talent. We need to be serious about it, and it should be done by the association; it will take at least 10 years before we see results,” he said. – February 10, 2024