Daniel won’t push it

Swimmer to take it easy in comeback at age-group meet

PETALING JAYA:

Daniel Bego has warned his fans not to expect anything spectacular from him in the national age-group swimming championships, which begin at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil today, as it will be his first race in a year.

The 23-year-old Daniel underwent two shoulder operations to correct a long-standing bone spur problem in April and June last year.

Daniel subsequently missed the chance to defend his five SEA Games gold medals won in Laos in 2009 as the doctor ruled that he was not ready for the strains of competition in Indonesia last November, although he returned to the pool around the same time.

It has been a long time since Daniel swam competitively and, as such, he prefers to play down expectations on his comeback outing at the national age-group meet.

The age-group meet is a regional qualifier for the London Olympics in July but Daniel is only doing the freestyle and not the butterfly events which he also excels in.

“I have not swam in a competition for so long and I just want to see where I stand at the moment,” said Daniel, who was named the Best Sportsman of the Laos SEA Games for breaking four records.

“I’m only doing the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle for our national age-group meet. Nothing fancy like butterfly as I don’t want to exert myself.

“I’m still feeling tight in my shoulders and I just want to get the feeling back first.”

Daniel did not go with his teammates to Singapore for the country’s national age-group meet last month, which was also an Olympic qualifier, as he felt he was not ready then.

A chance to make it to a second consecutive Olympics may be slipping by Daniel as the deadline for swimmers to qualify for the London Games is end of June.

But Daniel is taking things one step at a time.

“I have to take things easy as I don’t want to get myself injured again,” he said.

The national age-group meet is being opened to foreign swimmers for the first time, with Hong Kong, India, Philippines and Guam having comfirmed their participation.

Swimmerswill compete formedals in five categories – Open, 15-17, 13-14, 11-12 and 10 and under – at the national age-group meet.