Roihan Ang breaks 164-metre MBR diving record in Sipadan
ASYIKIN ASMIN
KOTA KINABALU - Semporna's Roihan Ang had received a recognition from the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR) after becoming the first diver to successfully reach 164 metres at the Sipadan Island waters.
The 31-year-old hit made the dive on May 28 before receiving the recognition at the MBR office in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.
Roihan said he has been diving since he was 10 years old in 2002 and started harbouring dreams of diving on the seabed at a rather challenging depth.
"It took me three hours and 30 minutes to be in the water with the help of 18 crew members and using eight different diving tanks to achieve the record.
"Besides that, I had also been preparing for the past two years and trained intensively with instructor Ahmad Gabr who is also a Guinness World Record holder since a year ago," he said when contacted by Sinar Harian, today.
He also said the recognition he received could open up doors for Semporna to become a technical diving hub besides for recreational and macro diving.
"I chose Sipadan Island because it is a popular location for diving activities and it is very suitable to dive in the deep sea.
"Since I am from Semporna, I want to promote Sipadan as a deep sea diving hub location," he said.
Roihan also expressed his appreciation to Sabah Parks as well as Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry for the support and cooperation given to him throughout the preparation.
Meanwhile, Ahmad said the recognition was a proud moment as a native was able to dive in his very own hometown.
"Among the training given to Roihan was the diving open circuit trimix dive method in to achieve the record," he said.
Meanwhile, programme manager Awang Ahmad Zaki Abu Bakar said Malaysia especially Sipadan has a very suitable environment for deep dive activities.
"However, the country still lack knowledge and deep dive techniques and hopes that the programme can be a pioneer to produce more divers to continue the effort," he said.
Awang said that the team will keep on training to break the record from 164 to 200 metres next January and any interested parties are also invited to take part as sponsors.
