DIVING OVER TO COACH LI TENG’S SIDE

National men’s divers opt out of training under Australian Brooker

DIVERS Ahmad Amsyar Azman and Ooi Tze Liang have switched coaches in their quest to make breakthroughs in the sport. The Rio Olympians were initially handled by Australian coach Christian Brooker before they made a request to train under Li Teng until the Indonesia Asian Games along with juniors Jellson Jabillin and Hanis Nazirul Jaya Surya.

Li Teng, a former world junior silver medallist in the 10m platform synchro discipline, is one of the two China-born coaches in the Malaysian coaching set-up.

Zhang Yukun is the acting head coach while Brooker arrived in January to replace former trainer Yang Zhuliang.

Under Brooker, the male divers failed to win a Commonwealth Games medal for the first time in 12 years in Gold Coast last month.

They did better when Zhuliang was the head coach with Tze Liang achieving his career-best result by winning the 3m springboard individual title at the 2014 Glasgow edition.

Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia secretary Mae Chen said Amsyar and Tze Liang made the request to try out a different coach.

“The switch is not because Brooker is not a good coach.

“Tze Liang is more comfortable with the Chinese coaching methods while Amsyar wants more stability in his dives.

“This arrangement is until the Asian Games.

“There will be a review after the Asian Games and the divers can come and talk to us if they feel there is a need to change.

“In the meantime, Zhang Yukun will take charge of the women divers in the Podium Programme.

“Chew Yiwei and the other women divers like Jasmine Lai, Kimberly Bong and Loh Zhiayi are still under Brooker.

“All three coaches are working together and will be going to the World Cup in Wuhan next month,” said Mae.

The women divers under the Podium Programme are Pandelela Rinong, Cheong Jun Hoong, Leong Mun Yee, Nur Dhabitah Sabri and Wendy Ng Yan Yee.