Ong honoured to be flag-bearer
Former top national swimmer proud to represent Malaysia during opening ceremony
PETALING JAYA: The current batch of swimmers representing Malaysia has done exceptionally well but there is room for improvement, said former top national swimmer Jeffrey Ong.
Ong caught the SEA Games swimming finals on Aug 26 and said he was glad to have met the team and other former national swimmers.
He also said that he was proud to represent Malaysia as a flag-bearer during the opening ceremony, and had the chance to meet up with 34 other former national athletes backstage after that.
“Helping to carry the SEA Games Federation flag was such a huge honour,” he added.
With National Day just around the corner, Ong said sporting events helped unite the nation.
“When I was growing up, I used to look up to our national football players and my sister Katerina, who was Sportswoman of the Year in 1980,” he said.
Looking back on his sporting contributions to the country, he said he was always pleased to be an ambassador for the country.
“Wherever I went, I would tell people in other countries about Malaysia and try to be a good example,” he said.
He advised up-and-coming athletes to be disciplined and determined.
“Stay focused and positive. Train hard and don’t give up,” he said.
Ong was a household name in the 1980s and 1990s when he represented Malaysia in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games and 1992 Barcelona Games.
He still holds the national 1,500m freestyle record of 15:23.61, set at the World Student Games in 1991.