The Star : Only seven swimmers picked for Asiad

BY LIM TEIK HUAT

KUALA LUMPUR: Only seven swimmers will compete in next month’s Incheon Asian Games in South Korea.

The seven selected are five members of the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay squad – Kevin Yeap, Lim Ching Hwang, Welson Sim, Vernon Lee and reserve Alywn Tan. The two women picked are Khoo Cai Lin and Chui Lai Kwan.

Kevin, Ching Hwang, Welson and Vernon broke the national record twice en route to reaching the 4x200m freestyle final in Glasgow. They finished seventh and were ahead of rivals Singapore.

Kevin Yeap is among the seven selected for the five-man 4x200m freestyle relay squad.

The seven will go under Category A, meaning the expenses will be borne by the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM).

Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (Asum) secretary Edwin Chong said the six juniors – double SEA Games champion Christina Loh, Yap Siew Hui, Erika Kong, Nadia Adrianna Redza, Shaun Yap and Tern Jian Han – who competed in the Commonwealth Games failed to make the cut.

“They did not swim anywhere near their personal best times, so we cannot consider them for the Asiad,” added Edwin.

For diving, Malaysia will be entering nine competitors.

Commonwealth Games 3m springboard champion Ooi Tze Liang will lead the men’s squad. The others are Chew Yi Wei and Ahmad Amsyar.

The women divers picked are Pandelela Rinong, Leong Mun Yee, Wendy Ng Yan Yee, Cheong Jun Hoong, Loh Zhiayi and Nur Dhabitah Sabri.

Malaysia will also be represented in the duet event in synchronised swimming. The three selected are Tasha Jane, Katrina Ann Hadi and Lee Yhing Huey.

“We are not expecting a medal from them. We are sending a team as they need to prepare for the 2016 Rio Olympic qualifiers. Many of the judges will be on duty at the Asiad and we need to expose our synchronised swimmers to them,” said Edwin.