KL2017: Swimming Starts Monday, Schooling The Star Attraction

By Zuriati Zulmi KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 (Bernama) -- The National Aquatic Centre in Malaysia's Bukit Jalil will the focus on Monday when competition for the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games (KL2017) swimming events commence. Swimming is offering 38 gold medals in the men and women’s categories, the highest number in any sports at KL2017. Singapore’s Olympic gold medallist Joseph Schooling (picture) will naturally be the star attraction at the pool. Schooling who won the 100m butterfly gold at the Rio Olympics last year is expected to compete in six events in KL2017, with the 50m butterfly as the first event. At the Singapore SEA Games two years ago, Schooling presented his country of birth nine gold medals. Another star swimmer is Nguyen Thi Anh Vien, who represented Vietnam in the 2012 Olympics in London. He swept eight gold medals at the Singapore Games. The national squad will be looking to national freestyle champion Welson Sim and breaststroke queen Phee Jinq En to contribute two gold medals. Welson and Jinq En were gold medalists in the 2015 edition (In Singapore) in the 400m freestyle and 100m breaststroke respectively. Wong Fu Kang will also be attempting to deliver a gold medal in the men’s 100m breaststroke. In the 2015 SEA Games, Malaysia won three gold, four silver and four bronze medals while hosts Singapore raked in 23 gold, 12 silver and seven bronze medals. (photoBERNAMA) -- BERNAMA