Andrew Malaysia's future star
KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Bernama) -- Young swimmer Andrew Goh Zheng Yen has drawn gasps of praise for his stunning performance yesterday, with a top official billing him as a potential star in the national team.
According to Malaysia Swimming Federation (MS) secretary-general Mae Chen, the 19-year-old swimmer’s record-breaking time in the men’s 50 metres breaststroke at the 65th Malaysian Open Swimming Championships was astounding and beyond the expectations of the national swimming body.
“We are very surprised with Andrew qualifying (beating) the A mark for the SEA Games in Cambodia and also breaking the national record set in 2016.
“A new star is coming; he is only 19 so there is a lot more coming for him,” she said after his scintillating race at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil here.
The Selangor-born athlete clocked 28.10 seconds to erase Wong Fu Kang’s national record of 28.59s, and also beat the category B qualification mark set by the International Swimming Federation (FINA) to book a ticket to the 2023 World Aquatic Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, from July 14-30.
In the same breath, Andrew will make his debut at the SEA Games in Cambodia in May.
Chen said MS will announce the full list of swimmers for the SEA Games by Friday the latest.
She said the national squad will participate in the Malaysia Invitational Age-Group Swimming Championships in Bukit Jalil in April as final preparation for the biennial sports carnival in Cambodia.
“Hopefully, we will be able to do one training camp somewhere near Fukuoka to prepare them for the world championship,” she said.
-- BERNAMA
