Ex-China diving coach ‘allowed environment of rape, sexual harassment, violence to continue’ in Malaysia
The country’s sports body refuses to renew Yang Zhuliang’s contract against the backdrop of China-born Malaysian coach Huang Qiang being on trial for allegedly raping a diver
A former Chinese national diving coach was sacked by Malaysia because he failed to protect divers from an environment of rape, sexual harassment, violence, bullying and threats, local media reported the country’s Youth and Sports Minister as saying.
Yang Zhuliang, who has been coaching in Malaysia since 2008 and produced two world-class divers in Pandelela Rinong and Cheong Jun Hoong, was not offered a new contract, with minister Khairy Jamaluddin saying they were concerned by a number of issues.
In October, China-born Malaysian citizen Huang Qiang was charged with raping a 20-year-old diver at the National Aquatic Centre in Kuala Lumpur. Huang pleaded not guilty at his trial, which is continuing.
“The main reason why Zhuliang’s contract as national diving head coach was not renewed was because of a culture and environment of fear among some of our diving athletes. This culture and environment had caused cases of rape, sexual harassment, violence, beatings, bullying and threats,” Khairy said in a statement, according to Malaysian media.
“Although Zhuliang himself was not involved in those things, he had allowed them to spread uncontrollably even though several warnings had been issued to him and another coach who was quite close to him.