Special training mooted for Parisbound Bertrand
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Swimming Federation (MAS) is planning a special training programme for Bertrand Rhodict Lises, who is the only diver to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
MAS secretary-general Andy Low said, the 18-year-old Sarawakian is keen to undergo a rigorous training regime, in order to increase his diving difficulties to face the Olympics challenge at the Paris Aquatic Centre from July 27 to Aug 10.
He said, the federation, with the support from the National Sports Council (NSC), will guide Bertrand to achieve the best possible results in the men’s 10m platform event at Paris.
“We have to look for an attachment country, where the coach from there will train him. There’s no point if, let’s say send China, then coach got no time to see supervise him.
“Among the suggestions are the United States and Mexico, we need to have a coach, who really look after him. This is still a proposal, we haven’t finalise anything,” he said in a press conference.
He said Technical Director Bryan Nickson Lomas, a former national diving champion from Sarawak, is working on the plans.
Meanwhile, Low said MAS will wait for the Road To Gold (RTG) committee meeting at the end of this month, to see if Bertrand will be included into the programme for better preparations.
“Any decision if an athlete included or dropped, will be taken by the committee. If he’s not in, we will appeal to them,” he added.
Country’s diving darlings, Datuk Pandelela Rinong and Nur Dhabitah Sabri is facing the axe from the RTG, after failing to qualify for the Olympics during the World Aquatic Championship in Doha, recently, which is the last qualifying tournament for diving.
RTG is an additional special support programme for elite athletes to achieve the country’s first Olympic gold medal in the Paris 2024, or Los Angeles 2028.
Athletes under the RTG will receive additional allowance of RM3,000 a month (on top of usual allowance), as well as other special benefits in terms of sports science, overseas tournament and coaching. — Bernama
This is still a proposal, we haven’t finalise anything.
Andy Low