Don’t stop mining for gold

Paul Birmingham (pic) will leave for Jakarta today with the swimmers for the Asian Games starting this Sunday. It’s his last time taking charge of the national swimming team and Starsport’s LIM TEIK HUAT caught up with the Australian coach on his last day of training in Bukit Jalil.

Starsport: You have helped produce Olympians and SEA Games gold medallists for Malaysia. What is the single thing that you wish could have been done away with to raise the standard of swimming in the country?

Birmingham: It’s the current rules for athletes in Sukma (Malaysia Games), which is taking place in Perak later this year. Swimmers who have represented the country in Olympics are not allowed to swim in Sukma or if you win at the SEA Games, you are restricted to only two or three events. It’s supposed to be a national Games and I think the best should get to compete. So what if you can win seven or eight golds, let it be. I am not against development, keep what you want to do but at the moment it’s not about development, it’s trying to be in the middle, it doesn’t work this way.

It ends up creating false superheroes. You fall into the hole where they are not good for the national programme or not choosing to do it because they want to focus on Sukma.

Starsport: Former and current swimmers had a farewell do for you earlier this month. It must have been very gratifying for you?

Birmingham: Yes, it’s sad that it has to come to this. It’s hard for some of the swimmers but I got another opportunity overseas, which I think will be good for my career, so it’s time to move on. I am proud to be part of the national programme for so long.

Starsport: Can Malaysia have an Olympic champion in swimming one day like what Joseph Schooling has done for Singapore?

Birmingham: It’s not impossible but I think a lot has to come together for this to happen. You need to widen the national base in the first place and have a good pro- gramme. It’s not about waving the magic wand and expect to get lucky. If you want to get a diamond, you’ve got to mine plenty of coals.

Schooling has a natural talent in that he has the best underwater kick in the world. The Japanese are very good in breaststroke because they have a unique anatomy ... their legs are built like duck legs. You can notice from the way they walk and these are the best for breaststroke.

But I must say talent can only bring you this far. What’s the point if you have the talent but not prepared to work hard.

Starsport: What’s your final message for the swimmers in Jakarta?

Birmingham: Just don’t fall sick and watch what you eat. I want them to swim fast and hopefully, break their personal bests.