Members of the Miri-bound swimming team pose for picture yesterday at the National Aquatic Centre of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas.Picture: BT/Jason Thomas
THE Brunei Amateur Swimming Association (Basa) insists that medals are not all that matters during this week’s 14th Miri Age Group Swimming Championship.
Twenty-seven of the Sultanate’s top swimmers from the Department of Youth and Sports’ swimming scheme will be leaving on Friday to compete in the tournament at the Miri Public Swimming Pool.
For half of them, it will be their first time competing in an overseas competition. They range from six to 16 years old. The team will be competing in the backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle, individual medley and relay races.
Basa won 22 gold, 13 silver, and 12 bronze medals last year, but Salleh Hj Tahir believes that the new swimmers with exposure should be the target this year.
“Half of them have never competed outside of Brunei, so the tournament will help give the swimmers some exposure and experience,” said the assistant coach.
“It is different this year, it will be very difficult since there will be some strong swimmers. I don’t think we should target anything. We are just going there to try our best and use the tournament as preparation for the Brunei Age-Group Championship and the Asean Inter-Club Competition,” he added.
The Brunei team were runners-up last year in the tournament held at the same venue.
Taking part in 62 of the 128 events, the Brunei Amateur Swimming Association (Basa) won 47 medals altogether with all 11 swimmers finishing on the podium.
Jocelyn Wong Tshin Tze won the award for overall Best Girl swimmer for Group 4 (age 9-10) after bagging eight gold and two silver medals.
A total of 140 swimmers from five clubs joined last year’s tournament which the Miri Amateur Swimming Association team won.
Notable exclusions on the list are Amanda Liew Jia Xin, Amnahliyani Mohd Hussain and Maria Grace Koh, who will all be competing at the 43rd Sabah Age Group Aquatic Championships slated also this weekend at the Likas Sports Complex in Kota Kinabalu.
Liew was Basa’s best swimmer in the event last year after winning seven gold medals in the Group 2 (age 13-14) Girls category.
Competing in the Group 1 (age 15-17) Girls category, Koh lived up to her billing as one of the country’s brightest stars in the pool by winning four gold and one silver medals.
Also in the Group 1 (age 15-17) Girls category, Amnahliyani Mohd Hussain won one gold, two silver and two bronze medals.
The country can count on a few swimmers who have already made their mark in last year’s competition – though they have all moved up one age-group. Top of the list is Jocelyn Wong Tshin Tze who won the overall Best Girl swimmer award for Group 4 (age 9-10) last year after taking home eight gold and two silver medals.
In the Group 3 (age 11-12) Girls category last year, Nurhana Yossli emerged as the best Bruneian swimmer when she won three gold and three silver medals.
Competing in the same category, Florence Sea Wern Lyn finished with three gold medals and one bronze while in the Group 4 (age 9-10) Boys category, Muhd Bakri Yossli won two silver and two bronze medals.
Rounding off the 11 swimmers who won medals last year was Josephine Wong Tshin Huei who clinched three bronzes in the Group 5 (age 8 & under) Girls category.The Brunei Times
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