Malaysian Gymnasts Can Be World Beaters - Nellie Kim

By Mazani Mohd Yusoff KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 (Bernama) -- Malaysian gymnasts have huge potential to become world beaters in the future, according to five-time Olympic champion Nellie Kim. The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) vice-president believed that Malaysia had many gymnastic talents but lacked talented coaches to steer them to glory. “Malaysia has many talented gymnasts as what I have seen in the clinics today, but the problem is that they need good teachers who can educate the local coaches to take them to the top. “Unfortunately, there is less number of coaches in Malaysia and therefore they need to hire foreign coaches to teach the local coaches so that the athletes can perform their best,” she told Bernama in an exclusive interview here Thursday. Kim has been in Malaysia since Tuesday to share her experience and knowledge with the national coaches and also junior gymnasts under the FIG Ambassadors’ Commission programme. Commenting further, Kim, who is also the Belarusian Gymnastics Federation (BAG) deputy chairman, revealed that the country was also facing a shortage of quality coaches as they preferred to migrate to other countries offering better salaries. She said Malaysia was the fourth Asian destination she visited this year, having conducted similar clinics in Hong Kong, Thailand and Vietnam. Nellie was a gymnastics powerhouse in the 70s, having accumulated numerous accolades during her illustrious career. She won three gold medals and a silver at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games besides winning two gold at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. She also bagged five gold medals in three World Championships back in 1974, 1978 and 1979. -- BERNAMA