The Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia(ASUM) hope to use two national level competitions in April and May to identify swimmers for the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia from Nov 11 to 25.
ASUM Honorary secretary Edwin Chong said the National Age Group Championships in Melaka from April 1-3 and the National Open Championships in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur from May 12-15, would serve as platforms for the selection panel.
He said national elite swimmers and back-up swimmers would have an opportunity to prove themselves to the selectors while ASUM would use their performances at the two championships to gauge their potential.
“Their selection and medal potential will depend on their results and performances. Selection will be based on merit, it can be elite swimmers or backup swimmers.
“Once we have made the selection, we can decide on the target for the games,” he told Bernama here today.
Chong said elite men swimmers like Daniel Bego, Foo Jian Beng, Kelvin Lim,Kelvin Yap and elite women swimmer Chiu Lai Kwan would feature in the squad but their performances would be monitored.
In the 2009 Laos SEA Games in Vientiane, swimming contributed nine gold,five silver and six bronze medals while in the 2007 Korat SEA Games in Thailand,the tally was seven gold, eight silver and eight bronze medals.
Swimming has always been a regular contributor of gold medals to the country’s medal tally.
– Bernama