The Malaysian Insight

THE shock at being dropped as coach for Malaysia’s diving team has worn off and Yang Zhuliang says he has no regrets and no desire to blame anyone.

But after leading Malaysia to a string of victories for 14 years, the 53-year old from China can’t help but make a point.

“If my training were unscientific, how could the athletes have stayed in the sport for so long?” he told The Malaysian Insight yesterday, a day after the National Sports Institute (ISN) announced that his contract would not be renewed.

The decision was based on Yang’s “refusal to embrace sports science” and his preference for “old school” techniques which ISN felt would hamper the team from achieving better results. Yang’s contract ends on December 31.

Upon learning the decision, Yang said his first reaction was to sarcastically call himself “a liar”. He told Sin Chew Daily he was disappointed and challenged IJN to show how his methods were outdated since his coaching had produced Olympic medallists.

He said his techniques have proven successful as all his athletes are now competing in the international arena. This, he said, is enough to refute claims against his “old school” methods.

However, Yang was not as irritated during his interview with The Malaysian Insight yesterday, saying he had achieved most of his targets in Malaysia except one – helping the country achieve gold in the next Olympics.

Yang was in charge of the national diving team twice, from 2001 to 2005, and 2009 to 2017.

Under his first tour of duty, Malaysia won three bronze medals at the Busan Asian Games, the platform title at the World Junior Championships in Brazil in 2004 and the overall title at the 2005 Manila Sea Games.

Yang’s second stint yielded numerous medals for Malaysia at different international meets, the highlight being Pandelela Rinong, who won the bronze in the women’s individual 10m platform at the London Olympics in 2012. 

The combo of Rinong and Leong Mun Yee or Cheong Jun Hoong went on to win at women’s 10m synchronised events at various championships. 

Pandelela and Cheong won silver in the synchronised 10m platform at the Rio Olympics last year. This year, the same pair won bronze in the same event at the World Championships in Budapest, while Cheong took gold in the individual event.

Cheong also became the diving world champion after winning the 10m platform event at the 2017 World Aquatics Championship.

Yang has also helped Malaysia produce a world-class diver in Bryan Nickson Lomas, who Malaysia’s first world junior diving champion and the winner of 17 medals.

Malaysia’s divers have had a string of good results, Yang said, but they could still go to the next level and an Olympic gold was within reach.

“I did not lose anything in Malaysia, I gained from my time here. The targets I set when I returned to Malaysia in 2009 have been achieved, producing a team of excellent and talented divers. 

“Although some goals were not met, I don’t consider this (coming back to Malaysia) a waste,” he said.

The years in between his two stints in Malaysia were spent in Australia, where Yang said he had a high-paying job which he gave up when he returned in 2009.

“Now that I think of it, there must be something wrong with my brain. But I definitely saw the potential in the Malaysian team then,” he said.

Yang said he was grateful for his experience in Malaysia as the Malaysian Sports Council generally treated him well, and he was well-respected by his students.

“There was a batch of students whom I taught during my early years who went to Sabah to teach. When they heard of my predicament, they immediately took a plane to Kuala Lumpur yesterday to talk to me. I was very surprised and thankful.”

Yang said Malaysia’s divers, who now have illustrious careers, would vouch that his training methods are indeed scientific.

“Due to having fewer athletes in reserve, the Malaysian team’s members generally have longer careers. 

“If they get hurt, then they cannot compete, so they have to be extra careful during training. If my training was unscientific, how could the athletes have stayed in the sport for so long?”

Now relieved of his obligations, Yang said he is looking forward to a holiday.

“I don’t have any future plan for now and will stay in Malaysia for some time. When I have time, I’ll go back to China to spend time with my parents, and then to Australia to see my wife.”

Coaching a national team is tiring, he said, and only the passion for the sport kept him going.

“The result may say 60 points, but I gave 200% in effort. As a coach in Malaysia I must multitask. I have to manage many things, from big to small. As head coach, I also had to provide personal instruction and train 10 athletes myself.

“This job takes up too much energy, sometimes I think I might just die (from exhaustion) in the training facilities,” Yang said, adding that he also has high expectations of himself and is a perfectionist. – December 22, 2017.