Malaysia Continues to Out-Class The Diving Field

MALAYSIA UPDATED. With four diving gold medals from four events under their swimsuits already, Malaysia’s synchronized pairs arrived at Wunna Theikdi Swimming Pool yesterday clear favorites before any of them even launched from the 3m spring-board in the 27th SEA Games’ first synchronized events.

And when the final dives were complete, Malaysia had two more golds from two more events.

In the men’s 3m springboard synchronized, Ooi Tse Liang and Azman Ahmad Amsyar of Malaysia amassed 373.36 points for gold, out-scoring silver medalists Timothy Lee Han Kuan and Mark Lee Han Ming of Singapore by more than 36 points. Indonesia’s Jamjami Akhmad Sukran and Putra Adityo Restu close behind the Singapore pair on 334.62 points for the bronze.

On the women’s side of the 3m springboard synchronized event, Cheong Jun Hoong and Ng Yan Lee continued the Malaysian dominance, scoring 293.70 points for gold. Setyaningsih Dewi and Indah Eka Purnama of Indonesia won the silver with 249.90 points and Myra Lee Jia Wen and Fong Kay Yan of Singapore got bronze on 223.53 points.

Since diving began on December 18, only Singapore’s Timothy Lee Han Ming, silver medalist in the men’s 3m springboard on December 19, has managed to squeeze out a medal of a brighter color than a Malaysian diver. 
seagames2013.com

Tim Dayung Indonesia Kembali Sumbang Emas

INDONESIA UPDATED.Atlet dayung Indonesia kembali menyumbangkan medali emas bagi kontingen Indonesia dalam SEA Games 2013 di Nay Pyi Daw, Myanmar, Senin, 16 Desember 2013. Kali ini, Wahyuni dan Maryam Makdalena Daimoi menjadi juara pertama pada nomor rowing lightweight double sculls putri.

Dari hasil yang dipampang di situs resmi SEA Games 2013, diketahui bahwa Wahyuni dan Maryam menempuh 2.000 meter dengan catatan waktu 7 menit 46,42 detik. Mereka berhasil mengalahkan pasangan atlet Vietnam, Thi Thao Pham-Thi Hai Pham, yang mencatatkan waktu 7 menit 47,92 detik.

Sedangkan pasangan tuan rumah peraih medali emas SEA Games dua tahun lalu, Than Than We-Shwe Zin Latt, kali ini harus puas dengan medali perunggu. Mereka hanya mencatatkan waktu 7 menit 50,88 detik.

Atlet Indonesia lain, Memo, yang berjuang pada nomor single sculls putra, belum berhasil mendapatkan medali emas. Dia finis pada posisi ketiga sehingga meraih perunggu dengan catatan waktu 7 menit 49,38 detik.

Sedangkan atlet tuan rumah peraih medali emas SEA Games dua tahun lalu, Aung Ko Min, finis pada posisi kedua dengan catatan waktu 7 menit 49,68 detik. Medali emas diraih oleh atlet Filipina, Nestor Cordova, yang memiliki catatan waktu 7 menit 49,38 detik.

Thailand Overpowered Myanmar & Singapore Beats Malaysia in Men Waterpolo

In the Games’ opening water polo match at the Zeyarthiri Swimming Pool, Thailand overpowered Myanmar 22-3.

In second match, Singapore, a two-time SEA Games defending champion, showed their continuing class with an 18-7 win over Malaysia. 

About Singapore Water Polo Team

The Singapore water polo team are the kings of Asean, having captured the gold at every SEA Games since 1965.

They are also closing the gap on Asia's best - as shown after they finished second in October's Asia Water Polo Cup and fourth at last year's Asia Championships.

Yet, their toughest opponents could be themselves. To that end, the team's preparations for the upcoming SEA Games have been focused on tackling their No. 1 enemy: complacency.

Said team manager Samuel Wong: "Right now, the players are in top form, technically and fitness-wise.

"To prepare them for the SEA Games, our objective was to make them mentally unflappable, so that they can be prepared for whatever hits them on match days."

A team from the Singapore Sports Institute has been working with the players for more than a year focusing on, among other things, the team's decision-making and thought process behind every move during training matches.

Former national players helped out as opponents during training games, which also simulated instances where the referee penalised the Games-bound team unfairly.

The players, who were mostly kept in the dark about the arrangement, responded well, keeping their cool and never letting their emotions boil over.

There is also the challenge of integrating five new faces, such as 17-year-old Sean Ang, who stopped his studies at Anglo-Chinese Junior College last month to train full time for the SEA Games.

Said Ang: "At first, there was a bit of a barrier because of the age gap, but the team were very friendly and supportive.

"Over time, we gelled and I'm confident that, if we stick to our game plan and play our best, we should win."

Wong added: "Silver is not an option. We must win gold, but I also hope to see the team improve on their winning margins in 2011."

The former national player then joked: "If we don't win, we'll probably stay back in Myanmar."
straitstimes.com

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Tze Liang Aiming for Golden Splash in SEA Games

MALAYSIA UPDATED. Ooi Tze Liang, who turned 20 on Tuesday, now has a shot at becoming a star performer among the Malaysian contingent when he jumps from the diving board at the SEA Games in Myanmar next month.

The Penang-born Tze Liang has yet to taste victory at SEA Games level but diving coach Yang Zhuliang has faith in his charge making his SEA Games breakthrough.

Tze Liang, who has been diving with the national team for six years, has been registered for all four events – men’s 3m springboard individual and synchro as well as the 10m platform individual and synchro.

If he is successful, Tze Liang will only be the second Malaysian diver to achieve the feat after Leong Mun Yee, who hauled in four gold medals at the Kuala Lumpur Games in 2001.

Tze Liang is now the most senior member of the depleted men’s squad following the retirement of Olympic finalist Yeoh Ken Nee, Bryan Nickson Lomas and Huang Qiang.

Tze Liang was originally trained for platform but he has shown an ability to multitask with several good showings at the international competitions in the springboard event as well.

Tze Liang in fact qualified for the 3m springboard aside from the 10m platform at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010.

After concluding a full season of the elite FINA Diving World Series with Ahmad Amsyar Azman, Tze Liang’s 3m springboard synchro partnership with the former seemed to have flourished rapidly.

They made a big impact at the World Championships in Barcelona in July by qualifying for the final and finishing a respectable sixth.

That earned them a berth in next year’s World Series and Tze Liang, who failed to qualify for the London Olympics in the 10m platform individual, made a good comeback in his pet event to finish a commendable 14th.

The 10m platform individual and 3m springboard synchro titles are as good as Tze Liang’s next month but it will be a touch-and-go affair for the 3m springboard and 10m platform synchro.

“I got a silver in Indonesia two years ago. Bryan is no longer diving and the responsibility is on me to defend the gold.

“I am optimistic I should get at least one gold but I will try for more. The coach wants me to dive in the individual springboard but I expect a tough challenge from my own team-mate Chew Yi Wei,” said Tze Liang, who is currrently training with the team in Guangzhou.

Malaysia should unveil its new pairing of Tze Liang and the Mohd Danial Sabri for the 10m platform synchro.

Malaysia have not won the event since the 2001 SEA Games and Tze Liang-Danial may well be the key to the diving team achieving a clean sweep of all eight gold medals at stake.

Indonesia’s Andryan Andryan and Adityo Restu Putra, who gained exposure in Barcelona, are considered the strongest challengers for the gold.
The last time Malaysia won the event was through Ken Nee and Mohd Azheem Bahari back in Kuala Lumpur in 2001.