Latest news with #KenNee
New Straits Times
30-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Diving: Malaysia's rivals catching up
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia may not be able to dominate diving at the Sea Games like before. National diving technical director Yeoh Ken Nee, who raised the alarm, said the rivals from neighbouring countries are already executing dives of a higher Degree of Difficulty (DD), as seen at the recent SEA Age Group Championships in Singapore. Despite emerging as overall champions with 13 gold, eight silver and four bronze at the SEA Championships, Malaysia would face strong opposition at the 2027 Sea Games if the trend continues. Singapore were second (eight gold, five silver, four bronze) and Vietnam were third (two gold, seven silver, nine bronze). "I'm satisfied that we achieved our target by emerging overall champions. However, we must be cautious. The DD of our neighbours is higher than ours," said Ken Nee. "We will be hosting the Sea Games in 2027, and if their divers continue to improve, they could very well win gold on our home turf." Ken Nee said he will meet with national coaching staff to devise a plan to address the matter. "Our divers won (in Singapore) because they were more consistent, but to progress internationally, we must raise our DD."
New Straits Times
07-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Malaysian women's springboard divers will be missing for the first time
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will, for the first time, not be represented in women's springboard at the World Aquatics Championships, to be held in Singapore from July 11-Aug 3. With three-time Olympian Nur Dhabitah Sabri on an indefinite break from competition, there is no suitable replacement. As none of the back-up divers met the Minimum Qualifying Standard (MQS) set by Malaysia Aquatics (MAS), it has opted not to field anyone in the springboard events. "It's a different selection process this time. Divers had to meet the MQS at two out of three designated competitions," said MAS diving technical director Yeoh Ken Nee. "Unfortunately, none of the back-up divers qualified for the women's springboard events, so we will not be sending anyone." Identifying a successor to Dhabitah has proved to be challenging, especially after Dayang Nursharzyra Awang Nasaruddin withdrew from the national back-up programme earlier this year due to a back injury. Ken Nee said last month that MAS was in the process of transitioning senior platform divers to the springboard discipline to strengthen a department currently lacking depth and quality. MAS will be sending its smallest contingent to the World Championships in years, with only seven divers selected. Pandelela Rinong and Sea Games gold medallist Lee Yiat Qing will carry the country's hopes in the women's 10m individual and synchronised platform events. In the men's 10m platform, Enrique Harold Maccartney and Elvis Priestly Anak Clement will compete in the individual event and team up for the synchronised discipline. Veteran Syafiq Puteh will lead Malaysia's charge in the individual men's 3m springboard event. Juniors Nurqayyum Nazmi Nazim and Yong Rui Jie are set to make their World Championships debut, featuring in the 3m synchronised and 1m springboard events, respectively. "They're not going just for experience — we're hopeful they can reach a few finals," added Ken Nee.
New Straits Times
07-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Malaysian women will be missing for the first time
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will, for the first time, not be represented in women's springboard at the World Aquatics Championships, to be held in Singapore from July 11-Aug 3. With three-time Olympian Nur Dhabitah Sabri on an indefinite break from competition, there is no suitable replacement. As none of the back-up divers met the Minimum Qualifying Standard (MQS) set by Malaysia Aquatics (MAS), it has opted not to field anyone in the springboard events. "It's a different selection process this time. Divers had to meet the MQS at two out of three designated competitions," said MAS diving technical director Yeoh Ken Nee. "Unfortunately, none of the back-up divers qualified for the women's springboard events, so we will not be sending anyone." Identifying a successor to Dhabitah has proved to be challenging, especially after Dayang Nursharzyra Awang Nasaruddin withdrew from the national back-up programme earlier this year due to a back injury. Ken Nee said last month that MAS was in the process of transitioning senior platform divers to the springboard discipline to strengthen a department currently lacking depth and quality. MAS will be sending its smallest contingent to the World Championships in years, with only seven divers selected. Pandelela Rinong and Sea Games gold medallist Lee Yiat Qing will carry the country's hopes in the women's 10m individual and synchronised platform events. In the men's 10m platform, Enrique Harold Maccartney and Elvis Priestly Anak Clement will compete in the individual event and team up for the synchronised discipline. Veteran Syafiq Puteh will lead Malaysia's charge in the individual men's 3m springboard event. Juniors Nurqayyum Nazmi Nazim and Yong Rui Jie are set to make their World Championships debut, featuring in the 3m synchronised and 1m springboard events, respectively. "They're not going just for experience — we're hopeful they can reach a few finals," added Ken Nee.
New Straits Times
12-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
MAS looks to reassign divers in a bid to strengthen springboard department
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Aquatics (MAS) is looking to encourage senior women's national platform divers to switch to the springboard discipline due to a shortage of strong talent in the latter. MAS diving technical director Yeoh Ken Nee said there is currently an imbalance of talent in the women's squad. Traditionally, the platform discipline has delivered more medals for Malaysia in global competitions such as the Olympics and the World Championships through divers such as Pandelela Rinong, Cheong Jun Hoong and Datuk Leong Mun Yee. "We have to admit that we currently don't have strong female divers in the springboard discipline," said Ken Nee recently. "We have more female divers coming through the ranks in the platform at the moment. "So we are looking to encourage senior divers, who may no longer wish to compete in the platform, to consider switching to the springboard. Ken Nee added that switching to the springboard discipline, which places a lesser physical strain on the body, could help extend the careers of the senior divers. He, however, stressed youth development remains a priority across both disciplines. "At least they (seniors) can continue their careers in the springboard," said Ken Nee. "But at the same time we are also pushing for young divers development to ensure we have a more even distribution of talent across the two disciplines in the future." On a separate note, Ken Nee said Elvis Priestly Clement-Enrique Maccartney Harold have essentially secured their spot in the squad for the Singapore World Championships (July 11-Aug 3). The duo dominated the field at the recent National Diving Trials on Saturday (May 10) in the men's 10m platform synchronised event. They clinched gold on a six-dive total of 400.11 which comfortably exceeded MAS's Minimum Qualifying Standard (MQS) of 360 points. "They've surpassed the MQS more than three times, so they are certainly qualified to represent the country at the World Championships," said Ken Nee. "However, we still need to deliberate with the diving committee before finalising the squad for Singapore." To put their achievement into perspective, their score would have secured fourth place at last year's World Championships in Doha and sixth at the Paris Olympics.
Barnama
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Barnama
No Changes Pending Outcome Of World Aquatics Championships
KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 (Bernama) -- The national diving training programme will remain unchanged with new technical director Yeoh Ken Nee adopting a wait-and-see approach pending the outcome of the World Aquatics Championships 2025 in Singapore from July 26 until Aug 3. Ken Nee, who assumed the post earlier last month, said that the existing programme implemented by his predecessor Bryan Nickson Lomas, especially the Minimum Qualification Score (MQS), remains effective for now. 'Everything is going according to the coaches' planning. The divers have already set the target, their events and their MQS. So we don't want to mess it up. bootstrap slideshow 'If everything doesn't go accordingly, then that's where I have to step in and oversee the whole blueprint. Maybe from the training side, coaching side, or the divers' side, that needs changes,' he told Bernama recently. MQS is the scoring benchmark that national divers must achieve to qualify for international competitions and represent the country. Ken Nee said Australia, Canada and Spain have expressed interest in holding joint training sessions with Malaysia's national diving squad ahead of this year's World Aquatics Championships. He said the three nations have requested to train in Malaysia for five days, and he hopes to accommodate all of them. The former Olympian said the joint training would benefit Malaysian divers by exposing them to world-class techniques of top divers. 'As for Australia and Canada, they used to be on the podium, including the World Aquatic Championships.
