PETALING JAYA: It was a pleasant surprise for diver Pandelela Rinong as she was named the winner of the 100Plus Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM) Athlete of the Year award yesterday.
Pandelela rode on her breakthrough achievements on the international stage last year to pip five-time world squash champion Nicol David, world No. 1 shuttler Lee Chong Wei and two-time world cycling championship silver medallist Azizulhasni Awang to become the first diver to clinch the award.
Also nominated for the award was New Delhi Commonwealth Games shooting gold medallist Nur Suryani.
Diver Pandelela Rinong is all smiles after being named the winner of the 100Plus Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM) Athlete of the Year award Sunday. She beat shuttler Lee Chong Wei, cyclist Azizulhasni Awang, squash star Nicol David and shooter Nur Suryani to the RM10,000 prize money and a trophy.
Instead of a panel deciding as in previous years, the selection was made based on the number of votes and although unexpected, Pandelela was a deserving winner.
Pandelela made history by clinching the first-ever diving gold medal for Malaysia at the Commonwealth Games last October.
She defeated Olympic medal winners from Australia and Britain to win the women’s 10m platform event.
Pandelela also won a silver medal with Leong Mun Yee in the synchronised 10m platform final.
She was also the toast of the nation when she bagged two silver medals in the individual 3m springboard and 10m platform disciplines at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore last July.
The two silver medals made her the first Malaysian female to go on the podium at a multi-Games meet organised by the International Olympic Council.Pandelela also marked her debut in the Asian Games in Guangzhou last November with one silver in the synchronised 10m platform and one bronze medal in the individual discipline.
Pandelela, who took home RM10,000 and a trophy, expressed surprise over winning the award.
“Are you sure?” asked the Sarawakian, who turned 18 last Wednesday. “I can’t believe that I’m the winner as I was competing against big names like Chong Wei and Nicol, who were always in the news last year. I’m really honoured to receive this award.”
It is not just a perfect belated birthday gift for her but also a perfect tonic for her to aim to scale greater heights in her major assignments this year.
“My main goal is to do well at the world championships in Shanghai in July as it is an Olympic qualifying event,” she said.
“The finalists (top 12) will earn a place in the London Olympics next year and that is my initial goal apart from trying to get a medal.”
Meanwhile, national junior wushu exponent Yeap Wai Kin won the best young athlete award and RM3,000 in prize money.
Wai Kin won a double in the changquan and jianshu, which turned out to be the only gold medals won by Malaysia at the world junior championships in Singapore last December.
The national football team, who won the Asean football tournament for the first time last December, won a special “Outdo Yourself” award. The award comes with a year’s free supply of 100Plus.
Pandelela rode on her breakthrough achievements on the international stage last year to pip five-time world squash champion Nicol David, world No. 1 shuttler Lee Chong Wei and two-time world cycling championship silver medallist Azizulhasni Awang to become the first diver to clinch the award.
Also nominated for the award was New Delhi Commonwealth Games shooting gold medallist Nur Suryani.
Diver Pandelela Rinong is all smiles after being named the winner of the 100Plus Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM) Athlete of the Year award Sunday. She beat shuttler Lee Chong Wei, cyclist Azizulhasni Awang, squash star Nicol David and shooter Nur Suryani to the RM10,000 prize money and a trophy.
Instead of a panel deciding as in previous years, the selection was made based on the number of votes and although unexpected, Pandelela was a deserving winner.
Pandelela made history by clinching the first-ever diving gold medal for Malaysia at the Commonwealth Games last October.
She defeated Olympic medal winners from Australia and Britain to win the women’s 10m platform event.
Pandelela also won a silver medal with Leong Mun Yee in the synchronised 10m platform final.
She was also the toast of the nation when she bagged two silver medals in the individual 3m springboard and 10m platform disciplines at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore last July.
The two silver medals made her the first Malaysian female to go on the podium at a multi-Games meet organised by the International Olympic Council.Pandelela also marked her debut in the Asian Games in Guangzhou last November with one silver in the synchronised 10m platform and one bronze medal in the individual discipline.
Pandelela, who took home RM10,000 and a trophy, expressed surprise over winning the award.
“Are you sure?” asked the Sarawakian, who turned 18 last Wednesday. “I can’t believe that I’m the winner as I was competing against big names like Chong Wei and Nicol, who were always in the news last year. I’m really honoured to receive this award.”
It is not just a perfect belated birthday gift for her but also a perfect tonic for her to aim to scale greater heights in her major assignments this year.
“My main goal is to do well at the world championships in Shanghai in July as it is an Olympic qualifying event,” she said.
“The finalists (top 12) will earn a place in the London Olympics next year and that is my initial goal apart from trying to get a medal.”
Meanwhile, national junior wushu exponent Yeap Wai Kin won the best young athlete award and RM3,000 in prize money.
Wai Kin won a double in the changquan and jianshu, which turned out to be the only gold medals won by Malaysia at the world junior championships in Singapore last December.
The national football team, who won the Asean football tournament for the first time last December, won a special “Outdo Yourself” award. The award comes with a year’s free supply of 100Plus.
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