The Star : Chance for Hoe Yean to make big splash at SEA Games

Medal prospects: Khiew Hoe Yean, Phee Jing En (inset, left) and Welson Sim (inset) are going for the Vietnam SEA Games under Category A.

 
PETALING JAYA: After dominating the pool in his backyard, it is time for promising swimmer Khiew Hoe Yean to rise to the challenge at the Vietnam SEA Games.

The 19-year-old is one of only three swimmers who will head to the SEA Games under Category A.

The other two are former Games champion Welson Sim and defending women’s breaststroke winner Phee Jinq En.

The 19-year-old Hoe Yean has come to the fore in the last two years after putting the more accomplished two-time Olympian Welson in the shade.

The Kuala Lumpur-born swimmer now holds three national records – the 800m freestyle, 200m backstroke and the 400m individual medley.

The 200m backstroke record was the most impressive as he clocked 2:00.08 to beat Alex Lim Keng Liat’s previous record of 2:00.94 that was posted when he won silver in the Asian Games in 1998.

Hoe Yean has also proven to be the new ace in freestyle, sweeping four gold medals – 100m, 200m, 400m and 1,500m – at the Malaysian Open last week.

He is certainly the face of Malaysian swimming at the Games as he leads a total of 14 swimmers for the biennial regional meet.

But it will certainly be a tough challenge for Hoe Yean as Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand all have competent swimmers to challenge for honours.

The other 11 swimmers selected by Malaysian Swimming (MS) – Jayden Tan, Job Tan, Ananda Lim, Hii Puong Wei, Arvin Shaun Singh Chalal, Ng Jing Fu, Sebastian Soon, Lau Zheng Yong, Bryan Leong (men), Alicia Li Ann Soosai and Goh Chia Tong will be competing under Category B.

Under this category, the association will fund their athletes’ expenses but will be reimbursed if the athletes win a medal.

“We really want to do better than what we achieved at the 2019 Games,” said MS secretary Mae Chen.

In the Philippines, Malaysia finished with two gold medals courtesy of Jinq En and will surely be hoping to improve on their 2-2-3 haul from 2019.