Kimberly thrilled and anxious as Jun Hoong’s potential successor

KUALA LUMPUR – Partly thrilled. Partly anxious.

That pretty much sums up promising young Sarawakian diver Kimberly Bong Qian Ping’s current state of mind after being touted as among the divers with the potential to fill the void left by 2017 world champion Cheong Jun Hoong in the women’s 10-metre (m) individual platform.

However, the 21-year-old Kimberly is relishing the chance to replace Jun Hoong.

“I am glad to be on the potential list but (I do feel the) pressure at the same time because I haven’t been competing for a long time.

“But I will be ready to do my best,” she told Bernama recently. 

Kimberly, whose last outing was the FINA Diving World Series 2019 in China, said she was currently focusing more on the women’s individual springboard 1m and 3m events.

“Actually, I prefer the 10m individual platform but not so soon. I don’t mind competing in both events (10m platform and 3m springboard) though,” she added.

Kimberly, who is eyeing a medal in the 31st SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam, in May, also hopes to fly the national flag at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in July followed by the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in September.

The Universiti Malaya first-year student also expects to fully recover from the left shoulder injury sustained in 2019.

According to Malaysia Swimming (MS) secretary-general Mae Chen, Nur Dhabitah Sabri and youngster Elisha Rania Abrial Rajagopal are also in the frame to replace Jun Hoong, who retired on Tuesday (January 4) to end more than two decades of involvement in the sport since 1999.

Nur Dhabitah, who often competes in the 3m springboard, is no stranger to the platform event as she and seasoned diver Leong Mun Yee bagged the bronze medal in the 10m synchronised platform event at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.

Kimberly, on the other hand, represented Malaysia in the event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, where she finished 10th overall in the women’s 10m individual platform final, besides winning bronze in the 2016 FINA Diving Grand Prix, also in Australia.

As for Elisha, she partnered Kimberly in the 2016 Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Sarawak and earned gold medal in the 10m synchronised platform event. – Bernama, January 7, 2022