Asian Games medal target for Singapore’s new diving head coach Charlie Tu

SINGAPORE – The Tokyo Olympics in 2021 were historic for Singapore diving, with two athletes – Jonathan Chan and Freida Lim – making their debuts.

But the Republic’s divers will not feature in Paris 2024 and, in a bid for more breakthroughs at the Asian and world level, Singapore Aquatics has taken the plunge with a new national coach in Charlie Tu.

The Canadian-Chinese, 56, took over the reins from Li Peng, who was at the helm for six years.

Tu, who began his two-year contract in May, said: “I see great potential... I believe that through systematic training and scientific management, we can achieve significant breakthroughs in the coming years.

“Currently, the level of diving in Singapore is moderate within the Asian region.

“Although we do not have any athletes who have qualified for the Olympics yet, this does not mean our athletes lack potential.

“By introducing advanced training methods and increasing participation in international competitions, we can achieve breakthroughs at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.”

Also known as Tu Junhui, he had an impressive diving career in the 1980s.

He won a 10m platform silver at the 1986 Asian Games, gold at the 1989 Chinese National Diving Championships and titles at several diving Grands Prix.

Since his retirement, he has coached divers for more than 35 years. For three decades, he lived in Canada where he worked with clubs and the national team (2015-2018).

His proteges include Caeli Mckay, who won medals at the world championships and Commonwealth Games and finished fourth in Tokyo.

He said: “My coaching style focuses on personalisation and holistic development.

“I emphasise the meticulous honing of techniques and also place great importance on the mental strength and team spirit of athletes.

“Every athlete has unique strengths and potential, and it is my responsibility to help them discover and maximise these potentials.”

Tu has big shoes to fill, as the association was unable to retain Li’s services as the latter felt “ready to take a step back from the demands of high-performance sport”.

During his tenure from 2018, Chan and Lim

become the first Singaporean divers to qualify for the Olympics,

while the national athletes also won four silvers and five bronzes at three SEA Games. The Republic have never won a diving medal at the Commonwealth or Asian Games.

Max Lee, who won a men’s 10m platform bronze at the 2023 SEA Games and achieved Singapore’s best finish at the Fina World Junior Diving Championships when he finished fourth in 2022, paid tribute to Li.

Calling him a mentor, friend and father figure, the 16-year-old said: “He didn’t just teach me how to dive, he taught me how to soar.

“Without his guidance, passion, and unwavering commitment, Singapore diving wouldn’t be where it is today.

“He’s not just coached us, he’s elevated the standards, transformed the culture, and inspired a generation of divers to dream bigger, reach higher, and strive for excellence.”

While saddened by Li’s departure, Singapore Aquatics’ sport director for artistic swimming and diving Daniel Campbell said Tu’s arrival “brings a fresh perspective and a burst of energy”, as it aims for medals at the 2026 Asian Games and representation at the 2028 Olympics.

He said: “With Diving Canada’s history of producing world-class divers since the late 1990s, Charlie has been deeply ingrained in that culture and training environment that has led to their sustained success.

“To increase the success of Singapore Diving, it is first critical to grow the participation base, as well as increase recognition for the sport in schools.

“With these foundations in place, we firmly believe that Charlie possesses the expertise to help cultivate and nurture a winner’s mentality, a foundation of Canadian diving, right here in Singapore.”

In a bid to promote the sport, the national sports association will also be organising free Try Diving sessions at the OCBC Aquatic Centre in August for participants aged six to 14.