KUALA LUMPUR – National diver Kimberly Bong hopes her next outing at the Cambodia SEA Games next month will be a good run after recovering from injuries.
The 2021 SEA Games silver medallist in the women’s 1m springboard category will be competing in the 3m springboard event this time around in Phnom Penh from May 5 to 17.
“I have not been given a specific medal target by my coaches yet, but I will be giving it my best in the 3m springboard category.
“I do have plans to compete in the 10m platform events later on. But I have been having injuries the past two years and my recovery also takes time, but everything has been going well so far,” she told reporters at the National Sports Council.
The 21-year-old Sarawakian previously said she intends to raise the difficulty of her dives in Cambodia but noted that she is still working with her coaches on finalising her routine.
“I have my own targets, but I still need to talk with my coach to figure out what needs to be fixed and improve on my dives,” she said.
After Cambodia, Kimberly will be heading to Fukuoka, Japan in July for the Fina World Aquatics Championships, followed by the Hangzhou Asian Games in September.
Meanwhile, Kimberly added that with several of the senior divers expected to be retiring in the coming years, she feels that it is time for her to be put into a leadership role within the national team.
“I know that some of the seniors will retire in a few years and there aren’t many juniors in the team that can take over that role soon.
“I hope that I can fill that space because I have been in the national team for quite some time now,” she said.
However, Kimberly noted that she still has work to do if she wants to be on the same level as the more experienced divers.
“I know that I need to catch up with them because right now my level is slightly below the seniors.
“More training is what I need to improve myself and increase my dives difficulties and execution,” she added.
Recently, Kimberly came out on top at the Malaysia Invitational Age Group Diving Championships, finishing ahead of teammate Ong Ker Yin and Singapore’s Alycia Lim.
Kimberly will be heading to Cambodia next month alongside seven others that will be representing the diving team as their coach has laid out three gold, three silver, and two bronze medal targets for the team. – The Vibes, April 8, 2023
