She’s out of sync
Long Yan the third coach in three months to leave Asum
KUALA LUMPUR: The exodus of foreign coaches continues in the Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia with Chinese coach Long Yan being no longer in charge of the national synchro swimming team.
Long Yan, who has been working here for almost a decade, had to part ways after her contract was not renewed by the National Sports Council (NSC).
The Hubei-born native, who represented China at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, never failed to deliver when synchronised swimming was contested at the SEA Games each time (2011, 2015 and 2017).
She is the the third coach in three months to leave the national set-up. Malaysia lost the services of longserving swimming coach Paul Birmingham in September after the Australian decided to take up a coaching offer with a club in Canada.
The elite diving squad lost Zhang Yukun last month as he decided to return to China to coach.
Long Yan’s contract ended on Dec 31 and her assistant Shareen Png is set to take over the reins.
Shareen, who represented Malaysia for 11 years before retiring in 2013, will be the first local in charge of the synchro swimming team and she admitted she was also caught by surprise.
“I never expect to have to take charge of the national team as there is no one around.
“It’s a surprise to me and a challenge to bring up the team.
“I have been assisting her (Long Yan) in coaching since I stopped six years ago, so I hope to apply the experience I gained,” said Shareen, who partnered Katrina Ann Hadi to claim five golds in the sport at the 2011 SEA Games.
Now 35, Shareen will take charge of the four swimmers from the victorious 2017 SEA Games campaign who are still in the training programme.
The four are Gan Hua Wei, Zylane Lee Yhing Huey, Mandy Lim and Nurliyana Nadirah.
“Synchro swimming is unfortunately not in the SEA Games programme for the Philippines this year, so the swimmers will have to look to other competitions.
“There is the Japan Open in May and the World Championships in South Korea in July, which is an Olympic qualifying meet but I’m not sure if we’re going as nothing is confirmed yet.
“We also have to get more swimmers in to prepare for the future,” she said.