Malaysia’s diving team, in a rebuilding phase, secured two golds at SEA Games 2025, with focus on developing juniors for future competitions.
THE national diving camp’s performance at the SEA Games Thailand 2025 reflected a team in a clear transition period.
With key veterans absent, the squad featured mostly junior divers still progressing in their development.
Team manager Desdemona Mollon stated the coaching team had anticipated the outcome against more seasoned regional rivals.
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“This is a junior team,” she said when met at the Aquatic Centre, Assumption University Suvarnabhumi Campus.
“Only Muhammad Syafiq is under the senior programme and has completed dives.”
She expressed satisfaction with the juniors’ current progress on increasing their dives’ degree of difficulty.
Mollon is optimistic the current crop will mature into a competitive unit by the 2027 SEA Games in Malaysia.
Next year is planned as a crucial step to expose more divers to major international competitions.
Malaysia ended its campaign with two gold medals and one bronze from the three-day event.
Yong Rui Jie and Nurqayyum Nazmi Mohamad Nazim won gold in the men’s synchronised 3m springboard.
Nur Eilisha Rania Muhammad Abrar Raj and Nurul Farisya Alia Affendi dominated the women’s synchronised platform.
Rui Jie also secured a bronze medal in the men’s 1m springboard event.
Malaysia’s long dominance in the men’s 3m springboard event, dating to 2005, ended without a podium finish.
Debutant Elvis Priestly Clement finished fourth while Muhammad Syafiq Puteh placed fifth.
Despite this, Malaysia topped the overall diving standings with two of the four gold medals contested.
Singapore placed second followed by Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia in the medal tally.
The 33rd SEA Games, which began on December 9, concluded today. – Bernama
