Malaysia seeks heritage swimmers to bolster national team
Heritage athletes aged 14 to 19 have been identified, but selection will depend on meeting performance benchmarks
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (MNTV) – Malaysia Aquatics (MAS) has stepped up efforts to identify and recruit heritage swimmers to strengthen the national team, adopting strategies similar to those used by Singapore, Scoop Malaysia reports.
MAS swimming chief Marilyn Chua said the governing body has been actively engaging with Malaysian citizens living abroad who show promise in contributing to the national swimming programme.
“Yes, of course. Several Malaysian citizens have reached out to us over the past couple of years, which is very encouraging. So far, we have identified around five swimmers, aged between 14 to 19,” she said after the MAS Annual General Meeting at the National Sports Council (NSC).
The use of heritage athletes is not new in Malaysian sport, with football being one of the most prominent examples where heritage players have been brought in to strengthen the national squad.
Marilyn emphasised that heritage swimmers still need to earn their place in the team.
“Swimming is a very objective sport. We have specific time standards set for every competition, and those who meet them will qualify on merit and be selected.
“They must meet our Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and still be ranked competitively against local swimmers,” she said.
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