KUALA LUMPUR: Who is telling the truth?
On Wednesday, Malaysia Aquatics (MAS) technical director Bryan Nickson Lomas claimed that coaches did not force diver Nur Dhabitah Sabri to compete in three events at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha last week.
He clarified that it was a joint decision with Dhabitah for her to compete in the women's 3m springboard individual and synchro, as well as the 10m platform synchro in Doha.
"We had discussed this from the early stage. Dhabitah was not forced. We asked her if she was okay or not to compete in these events, and she said she wanted to try. It was discussed before the training stint in China.
"However, Dhabitah is a versatile diver, and we don't have a backup like her. If she doesn't compete, we won't have a representative.
"We evaluated her three events and felt we had a chance to qualify (for the Paris Olympics)."
Dhabitah, upon arrival from Doha at KLIA on Monday, claimed she was burdened by the hectic schedule of competing in three events.
She added that the national diving team should not rely heavily on her and that she felt some pressure competing for Olympic spots in three events.
Bryan said Dhabitah's outburst was probably due to mental and physical fatigue as well as the stress of failing to qualify for the Paris Games.
"The divers are professional athletes and are paid wages. They have to contribute to EPF, unlike before when they received allowances.
"I think Dhabitah's outburst was due to the failure of not qualifying for the Olympics. She just vented her frustration, indirectly implying that she is mentally and physically tired." Bryan added."