NSC must keep Yang

KUALA LUMPUR: A rousing welcome awaits diver Pandelela Rinong when she returns home early today after her stunning bronze medal win at the London Olympics last week.

But as much as the nation rejoices over her achievement, a lingering question mark hangs over the future of Malaysian diving if head coach Yang Zhuliang decides to leave after his contract ends in October.

The Chinese head coach has been instrumental in the rise of Malaysian divers and his stock has definitely risen a few notches following Pan­delela’s historic plunge in London.

A few countries, including Australia where he holds PR status, made approaches to Zhuliang during the diving World Cup in London in February where he helped Malaysia earn 10 out of the 12 quota spots for the Olympics.

The best: Coach Yang Zhuliang has been instrumental in the success of the national diving squad.

 

The 48-year-old first came to Malaysia in 2001 and guided Bryan Nickson to become the youngest athlete to compete at the Athens Olympics three years later. Bryan then went on to make history by bagging the 3m springboard title at the world junior championships in Brazil.
Under Zhuliang, Malaysian divers also earned three bronze medals at the Asian Games for the first time in Busan 2002.

He, however, left after the 2005 Manila SEA Games to take up a coaching post, with the offer of permanent residence status, in Australia. He joined the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) to help in their junior development programme.

It took a lot of persuasion to bring him back to Malaysia and he resumed work in early 2009 with the objective of steering a diver to Olympic glory.

His presence energised the diving team again as he took Pandelela Rinong and Leong Mun Yee under his wings for the 10m platform synchro for the first time. They delivered a bronze at the World Cham­pionships in Rome a few months later, the country’s first for aquatics.
Pandelela became Malaysia’s first Commonwealth Games diving gold medallist the following year and now the Olympic dream has been realised.

While Zhuliang has achieved his target, there are fears that he may be leaving soon. And the fault partly lies with the National Sports Council (NSC) for dilly-dallying on getting Zhuliang to commit to a new contract.

NSC director general Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong was quoted as saying that Zhuliang had to deliver at the Olympics first before they considered a contract extension.

Zhuliang’s dedication to his job was never in question and he has continued to produce results.
This, despite the fact that he has not received a pay rise since returning in 2009 and the fact that he has to work with facilities at Bukit Jalil that are no longer up to par with international standards.
It is learnt that a new contract was offered to Zhuliang just before he left with the team for the Olympics.

However, Zhuliang wanted to focus on the Olympic assignment first before deciding on his future.
He said before leaving for London that he believed Malaysia would bring home an Olympic medal in diving but not the gold.

Zhuliang said he honestly believed Malaysia can be a stronger force in diving by the next Olympics in Rio de Janiero in 2016.

“That’s where we, hopefully, will have the juniors ready to compete at the top level. Some of the junior divers are very consistent even at a young age and we should have a good team ready to challenge for more medals, even a gold, in Rio. The seniors like Pandelela and Bryan will still be competitive and more confident after the success in London.”

But that can only happen if Zhuliang stays. NSC have to do everything possible to persuade him not to leave.



By LIM TEIK HUAT - THE STAR