PETALING JAYA, Dec 23— Allegations are surfacing that the rigid regime of Chinese coach Yang Zhuliang and his over-zealous assistant have created a hostile environment in the national diving camp.
Athletes were apparently submitted to “normal beatings” in training but an overzealous assistant may have gone overboard with too big a “rap on the knuckles”.
According to a source, two divers, Pandelela Rinong and Nur Dhabitah Sabri, played a big role in their persistence that Yang must go when his contract expires on Dec 31. Pandelela was actually hit by assistant coach Huang Qiang in training, the source said.
Huang’s sadistic streak may have gotten out of hand and surfaced as one of the horrors in the diving camp due to rigid Chinese training where hitting is accepted.
“There was once we were playing a ball game where the loser gets hit. Pandelela lost and Huang kicked her. Maybe he kicked too hard that Pandelela screamed and shouted at him,” the source said.
“Huang lost his temper and suddenly started kicking her in front of all the divers.”
The team then sat in a special meeting to discuss the matter but Yang backed Huang.
The source said Yang’s relations with the National Sports Institute (NSI) was “not very good’’ due to an incident before the KL SEA Games.
“Dhabitah had an injury while training for the SEA Games. A (unnamed) NSI officer wanted her to withdraw from the Games but Yang didn’t follow orders. However, Dhabitah managed to take gold,” said the source.
Huang, a naturalised citizen from China, is facing a charge of raping a national diver at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil last year.
Another source said: “Maybe Huang is the problem but most of the divers love Yang Zhuliang ... he is the best coach. He may not follow sports science but he produces world-class divers. But if the star divers insist he is replaced, then what is there to do.”
