KUALA LUMPUR – National diver Kimberly Bong’s retirement from the national team will not affect Malaysia’s medal chances at the Thailand SEA Games next year, according to National Sports Council (NSC) deputy director general Jefri Ngadirin.
The 21-year-old Kimberly announced on her social media accounts on Monday that “this chapter (of my career) will be closed and it’s time for me to move on to another.”
“We respect her decision to quit the programme, and the NSC would like to thank Kimberly who has contributed many medals for the country in various competitions, including the SEA Games.
“In diving, athletes tend to peak at an early age, so if they decide to leave the programme, we have to accept their decision.
“At the SEA Games level, we have a number of divers who can fill in and are capable of winning medals. We are not worried in this regard.
“We continue to prepare divers such as Ong Ker Ying for next year’s Thailand SEA Games,” said Jefri, when met at Stadium Titiwangsa during the Sepak Takraw World Cup.
Kimberly, who will turn 22 in July, showed great promise as a junior, but her progress through the ranks was hindered by multiple injuries.
She enjoyed a strong season last year, winning gold in the 3m springboard individual at the Phnom Penh SEA Games, later teaming up with Ong Ker Ying to clinch bronze (3m synchronised) at the Chengdu World University Games.
Jefri added that the NSC is focused on developing talent for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
Malaysia Aquatics Federation (MAS) diving technical director Bryan Nickson Lomas has been busy travelling across the country scouting for new talents.
It is understood that any talent identified during the road tour will potentially be placed in the association’s Fast Track programme if they are selected after the centralised training camp.
According to Jefri, to date Bryan has travelled to Kedah, Penang, and Perlis, and identified around 20 divers who are about 10 years old.
“They will be invited to our centralised training camp at the end of June. The camp will be attended by about 30 divers. We will then select 16, eight boys and eight girls, to be included in the Fast Track programme.
“They will have their coach and a specialised programme. We cannot follow the process we used in the past, there is not enough time. We have to push forward.
“These youngsters will in time replace divers such as Cheong Jun Hoong, Wendy Ng and Kimberly in the senior squad,” said Jefri, adding that Bryan will next head to the east coast to search for more talents. – May 22, 2024