‘I’M STAYING IN CHINA’
Jun Hoong to continue training under Zhuliang in Qinhuangdao despite virus outbreak
SEVERAL of her national teammates have cut short their training in China and returned to Malaysia but diver Cheong Jun Hoong has decided to stay put despite the coronavirus outbreak.
This was revealed by National Sports Council (NSC) director general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail yesterday.
Pushing hard to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, Jun Hoong, the 2017 world champion, will continue to train in China.
“Jun Hoong is focused and comfortable training in China. She is not worried about the coronavirus outbreak,” said Shapawi after launching the Podium Programme’s workshop for the 2020 periodisation plan in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
Jun Hoong has been training under former national coach Yang Zhuliang in Qinhuangdao, a port city in China’s northeastern Hebei province since November.
Jun Hoong will only come back to Malaysia next month for a special selection trial with Pandelela Rinong and Nur Dhabitah Sabri by the Amateur Swimming Association of Malaysia (Asum).
Two of the three divers will be selected from the trial for the World Cup in Tokyo in April, which acts as the final Olympic qualifier.
Concerned over the coronavirus pandemic, Pandelela, Leong Mun Yee, Wendy Ng, Kimberly Bong and Enrique Harold left their training camp in Chengdu last week and returned to Malaysia.
“The Malaysian divers in Chengdu were worried about the coronavirus and so they wanted to return. They will continue training here,” said Shapawi.
He said the trial will be Zhuliang’s ‘first test’ in his bid to help Jun Hoong qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in July.
And if Jun Hoong shines in the special trial, the China-born Zhuliang may return as Malaysia’s national coach.
On the disruption of the national divers’ training in China, Shapawi said: “We are hoping for a ‘miracle’, that the coronavirus outbreak will be contained, so that our divers can go back to China to train.”
Shapawi said the NSC are also concerned about Malaysian athletes from various sports affected in Olympic qualifiying as a result of the virus outbreak.
“Tournaments are being postponed or cancelled. We are not the only ones affected. It is affecting athletes all over the world.
“There is no specific ban on tournaments but we will monitor and do whatever necessary to protect our athletes.
“Competition and training schedules will also be reviewed during the periodisation plan.”
The periodisation will include programmes until 2022 when the major focus will be on the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.