KUALA LUMPUR: With Olympic medallist Pandelela Rinong and Nur Dhabitah Sabri among several big names missing, Malaysia will field a mixed and youthful diving squad at the Thailand SEA Games from Dec 9-20.
Only four gold medals are on offer — the men’s 1m and 3m springboard individual, the men’s 3m springboard synchro, and the women’s 10m platform synchro.
Among the other notable absentees are Bertrand Rhodict Lises, Enrique Maccartney Harold, Jelson Jabillin, Gabriel Gilbert Daim, Hanis Nazirul Jayasurya, Ong Ker Ying and Lee Yiat Qing.
Instead, Malaysia Aquatics has turned to a new line-up featuring Elvis Priestly Clement, Syafiq Puteh, Nurqayyum Nazmi Nazim, Yong Rui Jie, Nur Eilisha Rania Abrar Raj and Nurul Farisya Alia Affendi.
Malaysia will contest in all four events, hoping to achieve a clean sweep of gold medals.
Breaking from tradition, there will also be no centralised training stint in China — a long-time base for Malaysian divers before major competitions.
Instead, the team will head to South Korea later this month for a two-week training camp, part of their final preparations for Bangkok.
Diving technical director Yeoh Ken Nee said the decision to train in Korea was deliberate, aiming to expose the team to a fresh environment and new perspectives.
“We’ve always gone to China, but this time we wanted something different,” said Ken Nee.
“Former technical director Bryan Nickson Lomas is already in Korea, and we plan to check out their training system and learn from their team.”
The divers will depart on Nov 23, returning home before heading to Bangkok for the Games.
Only SEA Games-bound divers will take part in the Korean stint, which Ken Nee described as a “key phase” in fine-tuning their preparations.
Ken Nee said he was pleased with the team’s showing at the recent Malaysia Open in Bukit Jalil, calling it a useful benchmark.
The divers showed progress and consistency, though there’s still room for improvement in some technical areas,” he said.
He was particularly impressed by the synchronised pairs — Eilisha Rania-Nurul Farisya, Nurqayyum-Yong Rui Jie and Syafiq Puteh-Enrique Harold.
“They have good potential for the 2026 Asian Games if they continue on the right track,” added Ken Nee.
With the Games just weeks away, the coach believes the Korean camp could provide the final polish his young divers need.
“The overall momentum is positive,” he said.
“We’re on the right track moving forward.”
SEA Games squad: Elvis Priestly Clement, Syafiq Puteh,
Yong Rui Jie, Nurqayyum Nazmi Nazim (all men’s 3m springboard), Nur Eilisha Rania Abrar Raj-Nurul Farisya Alia Affendi (women’s 10m platform synchro)
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
