Brunei Darussalam swimmers left the country to participate in the 45th Southeast Asian (SEA) Age Group Championships 2023 at the Aquatic Stadium Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta, Indonesia from August 24 to 26.
The delegation comprised four elite swimmers and an additional four swimmers headed by Pengiran Abdul Farid bin Pengiran Idrus as team manager and accompanied by national coach Wu Na and international technical official Harjimmy Zainal.
The swimmers are Hayley Wong Ann Yue, Dylan Wong Wei Shen, Abbey Wong Ann Wen, Joel Ling Thai Yu, Zeke Chan Zhi Yue, Danniel Chan Zhi Zhen, Matthias Jordan Narcis, and Sharmeen binti Mohammad Mharvin.
For Hayley, Zeke and Joel, this will be their third major swimming competition of the year following appearances in the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan and the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago.
The prestigious regional meet for junior swimmers will also mark Sharmeen’s second overseas outing of the year after joining the trio at the Commonwealth Youth Games.
Brunei’s Joel Ling will be hoping to add a SEA Age Group medal to his resume in four events – 50 metres (m), 100m, and 200m backstroke; and 50m freestyle events.
Last September, the national sensation made history after winning the country’s first ever medal in swimming at the 20th Malaysia Games (Sukma) at the Bukit Jalil National Aquatic Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Hayley, the country’s leading female swimmer, will set her sights on a major overseas medal in nine events – 50m, 100m, and 200m breaststroke, 50m, 100m butterfly; 50m backstroke; 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle; and 400m individual medley (IM). – Fadhil Yunus
