With him being one of three Malaysian swimmers selected to compete at next year's Commonwealth and Asian Games, Welson Sim is determined to make the country proud.

The Sarawakian, who will be heading to Australia in April and Indonesia in August alongside Erika Kong and Phi Jinq En, admitted he was surprised when he found out that only the three of them will be representing the country at both competitions.

"Of course [the small number of participants] will make it more difficult [to win medals collectively] because the Podium Programme demands for medals from the Commonwealth and Asian Games," the 20-year-old told Astro Arena.

"However, I will use it as a motivation to train harder to improve my own performance."

Sim, who won bronze medals in the men's 200m and 400m freestyle events at the Asian Games four years ago and exceeded expectations at the 2017 SEA Games, is hoping to get good momentum into 2018 by doing well at next week’s President Cup tournament in Bukit Jalil.

"It is a good tournament and allows young swimmers to participate in it too," he said.

"I will try my best to break my personal record in the 100m freestyle event."