KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Swimming Federation (MAS) are looking to sign three new coaches to boost the national diving programme at the elite and back-up squad levels.
MAS diving technical director Bryan Nickson Lomas said the National Sports Council (NSC) have given them the greenlight to begin the hiring process for the three coaches.
One of the coaches will be assigned to the elite squad, and the other two will be assigned to the back-up squad.
The elite squad is currently coached by Li Rui and Li Junbai, who are both from China, as well as former national diver Datuk Leong Mun Yee.
The back-up squad is currently coached by Lu Jia Ning, who is also from China.
"We really need to sign new coaches, especially for the back-up squad, as currently Jia Ning is single-handedly guiding 13 divers," said Bryan when met after the MAS-NSC working committee meeting in Bukit Jalil today.
"We want to close the gap (in quality) between the divers in the back-up squad and those in the elite squad. Currently, the gap is too large.
"Our plan is to hire one foreign coach and one local coach to work with Jia Ning.
"NSC have agreed with us and we are hoping to bring in these new coaches by February."
Bryan declined to reveal the candidates names, but assured that the coaches hired will be well experienced.
"We have already received a number of resumes."
"Some of them have experience guiding athletes at the Olympics and have also coached other national teams.
"For the local coach (position), NSC has set out certain criteria, which includes that the coach must be a former national diver."
Bryan, who was appointed as technical director in September, is also a former national diver who competed at three editions of the Olympics - Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012.