BANGKOK, Dec 19 — What a splash of relief.

After two anxious days of waiting, Malaysia finally secured their first gold medal in diving at the 2025 SEA Games thanks to a fine performance from Nur Eilisha Rania Muhammad Abrar Raj and Nurul Farisya Alia Affendi in the women’s synchronised platform event in Samut Prakan today.

Nur Eilisha-Nurul Farisya rose to the occasion in style, taking control from their opening dive and maintaining perfect synchrony throughout to finish the job with a commanding total of 248.40 points during the final day of diving competition at the Assumption University Aquatic Centre, Suvarnabhumi Campus.

The Malaysian pair outdived Singapore’s Ainslee Jia Ern Kwang-Ryenne Cham, who settled for silver with 237.00 points, while Indonesia’s Gladies Lariesa Garina-Linar Betiliana claimed the bronze with 211.74 points.

Nur Eilisha acknowledged that pressure had been building after Malaysia failed to strike gold in the earlier days of the competition, but credited their coach and former national diver Ooi Tze Liang for keeping the pair calm and focused.

“It was quite stressful (before competition) but we are lucky to have a very positive coach. Tze Liang managed our nervousness, raised our spirits and told not not to be pressured.

“We feel very proud. This is not easy for us to (win) this,” she told reporters after the medal ceremony here today.

The 20-year-old was also delighted to secure her first-ever SEA Games medal, having previously returned empty-handed after finishing fourth in the women’s platform event on her debut at the 2023 SEA Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Meanwhile, 16-year-old Nurul Farisya was over the moon to cap off her maiden SEA Games appearance with a gold medal, joyfully stating that all the hard work and training they had put in finally paid off.

Prior to today’s event, Malaysia’s only medal in diving had been a bronze won by Yong Rui Jie in the men’s one-metre (m) springboard event last Wednesday.

Yesterday, Malaysia’s long-standing dominance in the men’s 3m springboard event, which dated back to the 2005 edition, came to an ignoble end as no Malaysian diver managed a podium finish.

Debutant Elvis Priestly Clement finished fourth with a total of 359.80 points while Muhammad Syafiq Puteh, who won gold at the 2021 Vietnam and 2023 Cambodia editions ended up fifth with 356.30 points. — Bernama