Malaysia Aquatics says performance, not age, determines diver selection, urging senior athletes to improve attitude and training to meet world standards.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Aquatics (MAS) has addressed concerns about the stagnation of senior national divers, emphasising that performance is the sole criterion for an athlete’s place in the programme.

Its secretary-general, Andy Low, stated the federation is making training adjustments to help divers achieve their Minimum Qualifying Scores (MQS).

He stressed that an athlete’s attitude and work ethic are crucial factors for their continued involvement.

“To move forward, they have to change their attitude,” Low said after a working committee meeting at the National Sports Council.

“They have to train hard, listen to their coaches and achieve their KPIs.”

Low highlighted the need for senior divers to match the intensity of younger, world-class competitors.

“The world champions are now 14-year-olds and 16-year-olds… If you want to be there, you have to train like them, train just as hard, perform just as well,” he added.

The meeting also resulted in key decisions on athlete selection and programme restructuring.

Andy expressed confidence in the new generation of athletes across both swimming and diving disciplines.

“We have proof that the new athletes are capable of reaching the podium at the 2027 SEA Games. For diving, it’s the same. We also improved,” he said.

He confirmed that an official announcement on appointing foreign coaches for the national diving and swimming squads is pending finalisation of all processes.

 The Sun Malaysia