KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — Several national athletes are grateful to be able to resume training at the National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil in preparation for the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year.

National diving queen Pandelela Rinong is happy that she will get to train at the National Aquatic Centre after undergoing only light training at home since the movement control order (MCO) was implemented on March 18.

“I am relieved and happy to return to the original environment (at Bukit Jalil) and I am eager to begin my training.

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“It’s been almost three months that I have not dived, so I feel that training should be carried out immediately to get back our diving rhythm back before the Olympic Games next year,” she told Bernama today.

The 2016 Rio Olympic Games silver medallist said she was ready to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the Health Ministry and the National Security Council (MKN), which includes limited movement around the Bukit Jalil vicinity, one-metre social distancing and using hand sanitiser to prevent Covid-19 infection.

National para archer S. Suresh was equally delighted to be able to train again at the National Sports Council (NSC) archery field in Bukit Jalil.

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“Before this, I would only train using rubber bands and so on at home, but when the NSC called me to return to normal training, I became very excited.

“My coach (Marzuki Zakaria) has yet to inform me of the training pattern, but I’m ready to comply with the SOP set by the relevant parties in a bid to prevent the spread of the virus,” said the Kedah-born archer.

A total of 142 athletes, sports officials and support staff from NSC and National Sports Institute (NSI) have reported for the intensive training under the ‘Road to Tokyo’ (RTT) programme in Bukit Jalil beginning today.

Earlier today, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican and his deputy, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad, spent some time checking out the centralising training camp. — Bernama