KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Aquatics (MAS) diving technical director Bryan Nickson Lomas has confirmed that Olympian diver Ooi Tze Liang will transition to coaching next year.
The National Sports Council (NSC) is currently preparing the necessary paperwork to employ the 31-year-old as a coach for the national back-up squad.
Tze Liang, who has represented Malaysia since 2008, was a specialist in springboard events.
His best result was winning the 3m springboard gold medal at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Bryan said Tze Liang's ability to positively influence back-up divers stems from his time management skills and commitment to training.
"Tze Liang had made his request to take up coaching, and it was discussed during the last NSC working committee meeting.
"The paperwork is being finalised, and he is expected to start coaching soon," Bryan said.
"I have known him since 2007, and he brings a lot of positives as a former athlete. He's still the best in the national camp when it comes to time management, and I believe he can instill these values in athletes as a coach."
Bryan also noted Tze Liang's extensive experience working under a range of coaches, including Yang Zhuliang.
"He has had success as a national athlete and has been trained by both traditional coaches like Zhuliang and modern ones. His experience will be an asset to the athletes he will coach," Bryan added.
Last month, Tze Liang suffered a mishap at the Malaysia Open at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil, where his head hit the springboard during a dive.
Despite the incident, he escaped serious injuries.