KUALA LUMPUR: The World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in Otopeni, Romania from Aug 19-24 will be the final chance for Malaysia’s swimmers to secure a place at the SEA Games in Thailand this December.
Malaysia Aquatics (MAS) honorary assistant secretary Nurul Huda Abdullah said the meet marks the highest level of competition that the national juniors will get to experience so far.
“This meet carries added weight as the entry deadline for the SEA Games falls on Sept 1. The World Juniors will be the final opportunity for our athletes to meet the qualifying criteria for selection to the SEA Games in December,” said Nurul Huda today.
“For all eight swimmers, competing at the World Junior Championships will be the highest level of competition they have experienced to date,” she added.
“Besides gaining invaluable exposure, it will provide a crucial benchmark against the best juniors in the world. They will also gain experience in competing in a heats, semi-finals, and finals format — an important step in preparing them for senior-level competitions.”
Among the squad, four swimmers — Aw Yuet Ting, Khoo Sue Enn, Natalie Suyin Buckley, and Megan Ho — are products of state development programmes, something Nurul Huda described as a key part of MAS’ long-term strategy.
“This reflects one of the core strategies of Malaysia Aquatics since 2023 — to build capacity and increase depth at the junior level,” she said.
“By strengthening the pathway from the states, we ensure a sustainable pipeline of talent to the senior level.”
MALAYSIA SQUAD – Boys: Dhuha Zulfikry (Pelapis) (200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m freestyle); Goh Li Jie (Pelapis) (100m, 200m freestyle, 200m butterfly);
Girls: Aw Yuet Ting (Png) (100m, 200m breaststroke, 200m, 400m individual medley); Khoo Sue Enn (Sel) (200m breaststroke, 200m, 400m individual medley); Isabelle Chiyi Buckley (Pelapis) (50m, 100m breaststroke); Natalie Suyin Buckley (FT) (50m breaststroke, 50m, 100m butterfly); Chong Xin Lin (Pelapis) (50m, 100m, 200m backstroke); Megan Ho (FT) (200m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 50m, 100m butterfly.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
