KUALA LUMPUR: It is a chance that young divers Hanis Nazirul Jaya Surya and Jellson Jabillin will not want to miss.
Hanis, 19, and Jellson, 20, have been given the nod to compete in the men's 10m platform synchro at the World Cup in order to earn a shot at the Tokyo Olympics.
This is despite the fact that FINA, the world governing body for aquatics, have called off the World Cup that was scheduled for April 18-23 in Tokyo due to Covid-19.
The World Cup is the last Olympic qualifying event and FINA have yet to decide on a new venue or to settle on a new qualifying criteria for the Olympic slots.
Nevertheless, Hanis-Jellson are determined to make the most of the chance that was handed to them by Malaysia Swimming (MS).
The pair got their preparation underway as they participated in the selection trials organised by MS yesterday and posted a score of 306.54 points.
It will still be a tall order for Hanis-Jellson as Malaysia have never qualified for the 10m platform synchro at the Olympics.
Hanis in particular, is fired up for the chance especially since he was not named in the initial World Cup squad.
"We have a chance if we can get our act right and hopefully we can improve after today's dives," said Hanis.
"I'm not sure if the World Cup is still going to be held but we want to be as prepared as possible."
If the World Cup proceeds, it will be a second appearance for Hanis-Jellson after their debut in 2018 in Wuhan where they finished seventh.
There are four Olympic tickets remaining and depending on the results, Hanis-Jellson may only need a top six finish to make the cut.