New Straits Times

‘I’M STAYING IN CHINA’

Jun Hoong to continue training under Zhuliang in Qinhuangda­o despite virus outbreak

- K.M. BOOPATHY nstsport@nst.com.my

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.

 ??  ?? National diver Cheong Jun Hoong will only return to Malaysia next month for a special selection trial by Asum.
National diver Cheong Jun Hoong will only return to Malaysia next month for a special selection trial by Asum.

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