Ahmad Amsyar wins 1m springboard gold to celebrate birthday with perfect gift

Olympian Ahmad Amsyar Ahmad presented himself with the most memorable and perfect birthday gift ever by splashing his way to the men's 1m Springboard gold on his birthday today.

Ahmad Amsyar who turned 25 today collected 384.00 points for the gold, denying compatriot Ooi Tze Liang's triple gold medal attempt at the National Aquatic Centre here.

It was the first individual gold in the SEA Games for the Perlis-born who had won the 3m Synchronised Springboard gold medal at the 2013 Myanmar and 2015 Singapore editions plus a bronze in the 10m Platform at the 2011 Palembang Games.

Tze Liang who had claimed the gold in the men's 3m Springboard on Saturday and 10m Platform yesterday, settled for the silver with 368.60 points while Singapore's Mark Lee Han Ming claimed the bronze with 350.55 points.

But despite the win, Ahmad Amsyar would have to put his birthday celebrations and victory celebrations on hold tonight to get a good rest and be in shape for the men's 3m Springboard Synchronised event with Chew Yiwei, tomorrow.

"I plan to celebrate after diving events end on Wednesday," he said.

The gold feat was also a proud moment for his father Azman Hassan and mother Rosita Ibrahim, both lecturers at the Tawau Teachers Training Institute, who flew all the way from Sabah to watch their son in action.

"I am very happy that he won his first individual medal on his birthday at home, especially after being criticised by some quarters for his Rio Olympics performance. I feel our sacrifice of staying away from him due to his overseas training and competitions for so long paid off today," Azman said.

Ahmad Amsyar was critised by foreign media after he hit the surface flat on his stomach in the 3m Springboard preliminary round and failed to qualify for the semifinal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, last Aug.

Since the SEA Games diving competitions started three days ago, Malaysia has clean swept all eight gold medals on offer with Jasmine Lau Pui Yee/Muhammad Syafiq Puteh winning the mixed 3m Springboard Synchronised gold with 284.94 points when the competition ended today.

Another three gold medals will be contested tomorrow, namely women's and men's 3m Springboard Synchronised and mixed 10m Platform Synchronised, while the last day on Wednesday, would see the action in men's and women's 10m Platform Synchronised.

-- BERNAMA