Pandelela Goes From Diving To Driving

Driving instructor R. Shan giving diver Pandelela Rinong her first driving lesson.

KUALA LUMPUR: Diving off a height of 10m is child’s play for woman platform diver Pandelela Rinong but driving a car for the first time Thursday proved to be a nerve-wracking experience for her.

The London Olympic diver underwent her first practical driving lesson and admitted that “it was a whole new experience for me”.

Pandelela may not yet have a licence to drive but she already owns two cars – thanks to her historic feat of becoming not only the first woman Olympic medallist but also the youngest from Malaysia last year.

She was given a Chevrolet Colorado pick-up truck by the Sarawak government while Naza Motors later presented her with a Chevrolet Sonic in Kuala Lumpur.

“I’ve never driven a car before today. My father (Pamg Joheng) was using the Chevrolet Colorado back in Kuching while my brother uses the other car in KL.

“I intend to drive the car once I get my licence. I’m still getting used to handling a car.

“I think I’m more comfortable jumping from the platform ... as I’ve been doing it all this while,” said the giggly Sarawakian, who recently bagged the bronze medal in the World Championships in Barcelona with partner Leong Mun Yee in the platform synchro event.

But true to her gutsy character, Pandelela immediately took to driving.

Driving instructor R. Shan, who owns Sekolah Memandu Rakyat, said that after her first practical lesson he managed to coax Pandelela to drive for about 10km from Desa Waterpark to Universiti Malaya, where she is attending semester classes.

“She did it. She is brave ... I think it has something to do with her diving. She is also a fast learner and I think she was outstanding in her theory test where she scored 48 out of 50 marks and only took 13 minutes and 48 seconds to do so.

“Normally, one takes an average of 45 minutes to complete the test. She should be ready to sit for the driving test within a month,” said Shan, who has been in the business for 38 years.

In fact, it was Shan who approached The Star about wanting to teach Pandelela to drive after reading news report of her being rewarded with cars despite not having a driving licence.

“I wanted to personally teach her and make sure she passes her driving test,” said Shan, who has taught Datuk Kamaluddin Abdullah, the only son of former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

National Diver Returns Home To A Heartwarming Reception

SEPANG: National diver Pandelela Rinong, who made the country proud with her Olympic bronze medal achievement in London last week, returned home to a heart-warming reception by her schoolmates and her parents whom she has not seen for the last few months.

The 19-year-old’s face lighted up as she was greeted by her proud father Pamg Joheng and mum Hartini Lamim after stepping out from the plane.

Her parents were specially flown in from Kuching by national carrier Malaysia Airlines (MAS) who also upgraded Pandelela to the business class seating on the flight home to honour her distinction of becoming the first woman Olympic medal winner for Malaysia with her bronze medal dive in 10m platform.

An estimated 100 sports fans and students from the Bukit Jalil Sports School together with Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Shabery Cheek gathered early in the morning to welcome home the nation’s newest Olympic heroine.

Heroine returns: Pandelela Rinong shows her bronze medal to her mother Hartini Lamim (right) and father Pamg Joheng upon arrival at KLIA. — AZHAR MAHFOF / The Star

And despite elevating her sport to the highest level, Pandelela is adamant that she will stay modest.

“I want to thank all those involved in the efforts towards making this possible, including my family who have supported me all the way in my career.

“My most cherished experience competing in my second Olympics was to be able to give a fight to the world’s best divers out there.

“I want to stay the same despite this success as I feel more comfortable being humble. I intend to keep training hard to get ready for the next Olympics in Rio and also the World Championships in Spain next year,” said Pandelela, who returned home along together with the aquatics team.

The divers have been given a one-week break and Pandelela hopes to catch up on lost time with her parents.

“I have not stayed in my parents’ home since the year started. I returned once but it was for the state sports awards that time. I will not think of diving for the moment,” said Pandelela.

Heroine’s welcome: Students from the Bukit Jalil Sports School greeting Olympic bronze medallist Pandelela Rinong at the KLIA yesterday.

But it would be difficult for her to keep a low profile. The spotlight will be on her in the coming days when she returns to a grand reception by her state government tomorrow night while Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is scheduled to meet her on Friday.

Pandelela Eyes More Glory

SEPANG: National diver Pandelela Rinong Pamg is giving hope to at least win a silver medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio di Janeiro.

“I want the top three (medals). I hope to bring home silver. God willing, the gold, but it will be tough as Chinese athletes have dominated the sport,” she said soon after landing at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport yesterday.

Scores of Malaysians came to show support for the win and sought autographs from the 19-year-old at the airport lobby.

Pride of the nation: Pandelela showing her medal to photographers at KLIA in Sepang. 

Pandelela's return to Malaysia from London was met with cheers and shouts of “Malaysia Boleh!” from fans and supporters.

The Bidayuh lass said it was “an honour” to be the first Malaysian woman to win an official Olympics medal and hoped that Malaysian youths, especially sport divers, would be inspired by her feat.

D. Gayatri, 15, skipped school for a chance to meet Pandelela and get a photograph. She said she was also a swimmer and plays badminton too.

“I want to be a national athlete like Pandelela,” she added.

Another fan S. Padmarajh, 28, said he had also turned up to welcome silver medallist Datuk Lee Chong Wei.

Pandelela posing with Hartini and Pamg.

“We should be proud of our athletes. Every Malaysian who can be here should be here. I turned up for our hero, now I'm here to see the queen,” he added.

Thirty-eight students from Bukit Jalil Sports School turned up at the airport, accompanied by teacher Samsyul Hisyam and school officials.

“I was not surprised that Pandelela has reached such heights as she was exceptionally talented and determined, as well as a bright student,” Samsyul added.

Pandelela's parents, Pamg Joheng, 46, and mother Hartini Lamim, 44, who were also at the airport, said they were very proud of their daughter.

 

 Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, who was at the airport to greet Pandelela, told reporters that he would take full responsibility for the national team's failure to meet its gold medal target at the London Summer Olympics.

“The diving event has developed. But we have to improve the current infrastructure and help them gain exposure,” he added.

Pandelela Fights Back From Disastrous Start To Claim Bronze

DIVER Pandelela Rinong made history as Malay­sia’s first woman athlete to win an Olympic medal, the nation’s first in any sports besides badminton.

The 19-year-old Sarawakian came back from a disastrous first dive to claim the bronze in the women’s 10m individual platform at the Aquatics Centre on Thursday night.

But the celebrations were subdued, unlike that which greeted Lee Chong Wei when he won the silver medal in the badminton men’s singles last Sunday.

The badminton medal was expected and although diving had promised to deliver, not many had given them a chance after they had failed in the previous six events.

But Pandelela finally lived up to her potential and a heroic dive in the fifth round gave her a well-deserved bronze medal.

But it could so easily have been a silver if only she had not fluffed her first attempt.

But she managed to claw her way back to accumulate 359.20 points behind Australia’s Brittany Broben (366.50) and Chen Ruolin of China, who was the runaway winner with an astounding 422.30 points.

Pandelela’s first dive, a forward 3½ somersault netted only 58.50 and put her in 10th spot after the first round but subsequent dives of 64.00 (armstand back double somersault 1½ twist), 81.60 (inward 3½ somersault) and 76.80 (back ½ somersault 1½ twist) saw her back in contention.

Pandelela was in tears as she savoured a landmark medal for Malaysia.

“I feel very proud and happy because I just won a medal for my country.

“It’s really an honour. It’s a great, great thing for Malaysia,” Pandelela said.

“I feel very proud of Malaysia. I hope Malaysia is proud of me.

“Diving is not that popular like badminton. I hope this will inspire youngsters to take up diving.”

The bronze is worth RM150,000 under the Youth and Sports Ministry’s (Shakam) incentive scheme.

She will also receive a monthly pension of RM2,000.

The silver and bronze equals Malaysia’s previous Olympic best at Atlanta 1996.

Then, the doubles pair of Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock won the silver while Rashid Sidek took the bronze.

Bryan Nickson Lomas will be competing in the men’s 10m individual platform today at the same venue.

Malaysians Ecstatic Over Pandelela’s Historic Olympic Win

PETALING JAYA: Pandelela Rinong Pamg who wrested a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics in a most unexpected way has set Malaysians riding on a huge wave of national sporting pride.

Malaysians from all walks of life took to Twitter to express their emotions and congratulate the petite Bidayuh lass from Sarawak for making history as Malaysia's first woman Olympic medallist and the first to win one outside of badminton.

Sharing the happiness: Pandelela showing her medal to teammates (from left) Leong Mun Yee, Ng Yan Yee, Yeoh Ken Nee and Traisy Vivien after meeting with the Malaysian press at the Athletes Village in London. — AZMAN GHANI / The Star Add caption

The 19-year-old finished third behind China's Chen Ruolin and Australia's Brittany Broben in the 10m individual platform event.

She pipped Melissa Wu of Australia by a mere 1.1 point to take the bronze.

Cycling champion Josiah Ng, whose tweet was retweeted over 400 times by his followers, wrote: “Congratulations to my fellow Sarawakian, Pandelela Rinong for Malaysia's first female medal. #bronze #diving #teammalaysia.”

Women's squash world number one Nicol David tweeted:“Well done to our Malaysian diver Pandelela Rinong Pamg for picking up a Bronze! Amazing achievement!” Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's congratulatory tweet at 6.30pm yesterday was retweeted over 1,000 times by his followers. “Great performance by Pandelela! First Malaysian Woman to win an Olympic Medal. Syabas dan Tahniah!” Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin also tweeted, saying: “Tahniah dan syabas Pandelela kerana meraih pingat gangsa utk negara! (Congratulations, Pandelela for winning a bronze medal for the country) Well done! You did us proud!” Another Malaysian woman, M. Vasugi, won a bronze medal in taekwondo in the Seoul Olympics in 1988 but the sport was only a demonstration event then and was not considered in the official medal tally. Pandelela, who won the National Sportswoman Award this year, is also the country's first woman to serve as flag bearer, leading the 28-member contingent during the opening ceremony on July 27. Former Bernama editor-in-chief Datuk Seri Azman Ujang said he and his family had spent a sleepless night watching Pandelela at the women's 10m individual platform event. The Sarawakian said he and Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe, the MP of Mas Gading where Pandelela's home is, had been exchanging a running SMS commentary throughout the event. “She gave us some nervous moments but then she improved. This is such a fantastic achievement for the country and something completely unexpected.”

Atta girl!: Pandelela showing her excitement after winning the bronze at the Women’s 10m individual platform event at the Aquatics Centre in London.

Dr Tiki said Pandelela had made the entire Bidayuh community extremely proud. Wanita MCA secretary-general Chew Lee Giok praised Pandelela's perseverance and determination as “an encouragement to Malaysian women and youths with dreams and aspirations”.

Pandelela Tipped To Be First Malaysian Woman Flag Bearer For Olympic Games

PETALING JAYA: It will be another feather in the cap for diver Pandelela Rinong if she is picked as the Malaysian flag bearer for the opening ceremony of the London Olympics on July 27.

Pandelela is tipped to become the first Malaysian woman athlete to have the honour of leading the contingent out at the Olympics.

It has always been the men in previous Games since the nation’s first participation in Melbourne 1956 and world No. 1 shuttler Chong Wei could, perhaps, have carried on the tradition had he not injured his ankle last month.

Chong Wei could go into action the day after the opening ceremony depending on the fixtures and that may be a reason for not considering him.

Strong candidate: Pandelela is now in the final lap of Olympic preparation in China. 

DIVING: Duo Prepared To Sacrifice For Medal Shot

BRYAN Nickson Lomas and Pandelela Rinong may each drop one event in pursuit of a medal at the London Olympics Games in July.

The divers have each qualified for three Olympic disciplines but it could be too taxing for them to concentrate on all of them.

Bryan has earned quota spots in the 3-metre springboard and synchro (with Huang Qiang); and 10m platform individual.

As for Pandelela, the Sarawakian is in the 10m platform individual and synchro (with Leong Mun Yee); and 3m springboard synchro (with Cheong Jun Hoong).

Bryan admitted that it would be too tough for him to compete in three events.

"I may drop one event, maybe the springboard individual, as medal chances in this discipline are slim," said Bryan.

Pandelela, however, may have no choice but to feature in all three events as her teammates are not good enough.

"I need to weigh my priorities before making a decision. Personally, I would love to compete in all three disciplines, but if I do, I may not be able to focus," said Pandelela.

Malaysia will be represented by eight divers in 10 events in London but there could be an addition if Ooi Tze Liang gets the nod from Fina, the world body for aquatics, for the men's springboard individual.

Read more: DIVING: Duo prepared to sacrifice for medal shot - Other - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/sports/other/diving-duo-prepared-to-sacrifice-for-medal-shot-1.53972#ixzz1oD58nKjJ

Pandelela Is Already Feeling The Pressure Ahead Of The Olympics

KUALA LUMPUR: A tough training regime and a short tomboy haircut – these are some of the things Pandelela Rinong (pic)has been put through by diving coach Yang Zhuliang in a bid to help her win Malaysia’s first-ever gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

The 18-year-old Kuching-born Pandelela, who has qualified for the women’s 10m platform event for the London Games, has also sacrificed her pre-university studies since January to focus on the world’s biggest multi-sports Games.

Pandelela, who will be featuring in her second Olympics, is already feeling the pressure although the Games are seven months away.

“Coach Yang is pushing me hard in training daily as he believes I have the potential to not only win a medal but the gold,” said Pandelela.

“I’ve definitely improved on my diving technique but the coach wants me to further improve it to achieve the elusive gold.

“This has put me under a lot of pressure as I will be up against the world best divers at the Olympics.

“It’s tough to win an Olympic medal, let alone the gold,” added Pandelela, who failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Pandelela said that she also had to cut her hair short because her coach felt that her long hair distracted her from executing the somersaults perfectly.

“The coach says that all the Chinese women divers had short hair. Although I have cut mine short, he is still unhappy and wants me to trim it further,” said Pandelela, who was the first Malaysian woman diver to win the gold medal in the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Pandelela will get to train in Dali, China, for two weeks next month in preparation for the World Championships in London in February.

“I will use the world meet to qualify for two more events in the Olympics – the 3m springboard and 10m platform synchnorised,” said Pandelela, who will also feature in the four legs of the FINA World Series next year in preparation for the London Olympics.

Meanwhile, Carlsberg Malaysia announced yesterday its annual sponsorship of RM30,000 for the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM)-Carlsberg athletes’ retirement scheme for this year.

The scheme, which currently has RM3.07mil, is meant for the 88 Malaysian athletes who have won medals at the past Asian, Commonwealth and Olympic Games.

PANDELELA SHOWS GREAT PROGRESS TO BE AMONG WORLD'S BEST

BEIJING: Malaysian diver Pandelela Rinong showed in the past two legs of the Fina Diving World Series the quality she is made of for a podium finish in the world championship in Shanghai in July.

The 17-year-old Sarawakian nailed a first-ever silver medal for Malaysia in the 10m platform in the opening leg of the series in Moscow about a week ago.

Class act: Pandelela Rinong in action during the women’s 10m platform event at the FINA Diving World Series in Beijing last week.

On Saturday, she combined well with Leong Mun Yee to take another silver in the 10m platform synchronised final in the second leg in Beijing. Pandelela was also close to win the bronze in the individual discipline but fell short by 0.45 points behind Aussie Alexandra Croak.

Pandelela said that she was happy with her tremendous progress over the past two years that had seen her winning a bronze in the world championship in Rome, the Commonwealth Games gold medal, a silver and bronze medal in the Guangzhou Asiad and now two silver medals in the World Series.

“It’s good that I covered the mistake that I made in the synchronised final in Moscow (Pandelela-Mun Yee came fourth after their poor last dive). I performed very well with Mun Yee in China this time and I am very satisfied,” she said after her win in the discipline on Saturday.

Mun Yee said that they had learned from their experiences and it was a relief that they did not repeat the mistakes in Moscow.

“We are certainly very happy to win this silver medal,” she said.

The duo will look to continue their fine form in the third and last legs in Sheffield (April 15-16) and Guanajuato (April 22-23) before heading to Shanghai for the world championship.

Their closest rivals for a podium finish are Australia’s Alexandra Croak and Melissa Wu, who won two bronze after the two legs, and Canada’s Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion, who were the runners-up in Moscow and were placed fourth in Beijing.

Melissa was down with a back injury all week long that she missed the individual 10m platform discipline. But she returned in the synchronised final and still managed to pull off a good result.

“Melissa is carrying some injuries and having been able to come out today to perform in the way she did was quite remarkable,” Alexandra said.

China’s reigning Olympic and world champion Chen Ruolin and her partner, Wang Hao, were the runaway winners in the world series. The competition features only the top divers in the world.

PANDELELA-MUN YEE WIN FIRST-EVER SILVER MEDAL

PETALING JAYA: The plucky duo of Pandelela Rinong-Leong Mun Yee showed nerves of steel to recover from a poor opening effort to nail a first-ever silver medal for Malaysia in the women’s 10m platform synchronised final of the FINA Diving World Series in Beijing last night.

Pandelela-Mun Yee garnered 50.40 and were placed last behind main Australian and Canadian rivals after the first dive at the Water Cube Aquatics Centre, venue of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

But the duo improved to third place after the next dive. They nudged ahead of Australian pair Alexandra Croak-Melissa Wu on a slim margin of 0.2 point after the third dive.

Near perfection: The Malaysian pair of Pandelela Rinong (front) and Leong Mun Yee making their final dive in the 10m platform synchronised final of the FINA Diving World Series at the Water Cube in Beijing yesterday. — CHOW HOW BAN / The Star

And then an impressive fifth and final dive earned Pandelela-Mun Yee 83.52 points and the first silver medal for the country in the discipline at the prestigious series.

Pandelela-Mun Yee amassed 338.46 points ahead of Croak-Melissa, who only managed 78.72 with their last dive to take bronze with 331.50 points.

China’s reigning Olympic champions Chen Ruolin-Wang Hao claimed the gold as expected with a total of 365.52 points.It was their second consecutive win in the series after emerging tops in the opening leg in Moscow last week.

The silver medal must have brought satisfaction for the Malaysian combination after narrowly missing out on a medal in the discipline in Moscow.

This is also the second medal for Pandelela in the series. She made history with the first medal for the country – a silver in the 10m platform individual in Moscow and their performances augurs well for their chances of making another big impression in the World Championships in Shanghai in July.

Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia secretary Edwin Chong, who is in Beijing, said the silver is a good boost for the duo, especially after fighting back from last place among the six finalists.

”This is their second big achievement after taking bronze in the 2009 world championships in Rome.

“The Australians were also the Commonwealth Games gold medallists in New Delhi last year while our pair managed silver.

”If they continue to improve, they have a chance to make the podium at the world championships again and more importantly, qualify for the Olympics for the first time in the event,” said Edwin.

The world championships will offer early tickets to the London Olympics for the first top three pairs and Pandelela-Mun Yee will hope to make history as the first pair to do so for Malaysia.

FOURTH-PLACE PANDELELA MISSES OUT ON ANOTHER MEDAL

PETALING JAYA: Common-wealth Games champion diver Pandelela Rinong just missed out on a second consecutive medal in the FINA Diving World Series by a whisker in the women’s 10m platform individual at the Water Cube Aquatics Centre in Beijing last night.

Pandelela garnered 357.05 after the fifth and final dive to be denied the bronze by Australian Alexandra Croak by a margin of 0.45.

China’s Olympic champion Chen Ruolin earned her second consecutive gold medal by finishing on top with 426 points.

Another world champion in the making, 15-year-old Hu Yadan, gave China the silver as well with 423.05 points.

It was an agonising finish for 18-year-old Pandelela after fighting her way back to medal contention after placing last in the field of six finalists after the first two dives.

Pandelela had reached the final after finishing third in her semi-finals earlier and it was still a laudable performance from her despite ending without a medal.

Pandelela finished ahead of reigning world champion Paola Espinosa in the elite field, which is only extended to the top 10 ranked divers from the world and continental rankings.

Pandelela pulled off a first for Malaysia in the prestigious series by bagging the silver in the same discipline behind Ruolin in the first leg in Moscow a week ago.

Pandelela still has another chance to bag a medal from Beijing as she will compete in the women’s 10m platform synchronised event with Mun Yee tonight.

Pandelela and Mun Yee are the only Malaysians to qualify for the four-leg series this year.

The remaining legs will be held in Sheffield (April 15-16) and Mexico (April 22-23).

Pandelela Grabs A Silver In World Series

PETALING JAYA: Diver Pandelela Rinong is (pic) making the world take notice of her ability with another big breakthrough for Malaysia in the opening leg of the FINA Diving World Series in Moscow.

The 18-year-old Pandelela pulled off a first for Malaysia in the series by bagging the silver in the women’s 10m platform individual event on the first day of competition on Friday.

She chalked up 369.45 points to secure the silver. China’s reigning Olympic champion in the discipline, Chen Ruolin, gave a standout performance to take the gold on 409.95 and Australian Alexandra Croak settled for the bronze on 358.95.

Pandelela together with partner Leong Mun Yee are the only Malaysians to qualify for the pres­tigious four-leg series this year. The other legs will be held in Beijing (March 25-26), Shef­field (April 15-16) and Mexico (April 22-23).

Only the top 10 ranked divers are invited to compete in the series based on their performances in the world circuit and continental championships last year.

Pandelela said that she competed without any pressure but her hopes soared after finishing on top of her group in the semi-finals.

“The best three divers from the two groups qualify for the final. The Chinese diver emerged first in the other group,” said the Sarawakian in a telephone interview yesterday.

“I’m happy to dive well and break my personal best score in the 10m platform.”

The Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia secretary, Edwin Chong, praised Pandelela for putting Malaysia on the world diving map.

“This is a good quality competition and we are proud of her as she is the first Malaysian diver to make the podium in the Diving World Series,” he said.

Pandelela’s performance certainly augurs well for her chances of a strong showing in the world championships in Shanghai in July.

The world championships will not just be about fighting for medals but also to secure early qua­­lification for the Olympics next year.

The 12 finalists in individual disciplines are assured of places in the London Games and Pandelela is definitely on track to secure qualification, judging from her latest effort.

Pandelela recently beat several high-profile athletes to win the 100Plus Sportswriters Association of Malaysia’s (SAM) 2011 Athlete of the Year award, thanks to her outstanding performances in major competitions last year.

She won two silver medals at the Youth Olympics in Singapore. She went on to become the first-ever Malaysian diver to win a gold in Commonwealth Games history in New Delhi last October.
The following month, Pandelela also stood tall in her Asian Games debut in Guangzhou, winning a silver and a bronze even though she had to deal with a back muscle sprain.

Pandalela's Rocking Weekend

SUBANG JAYA: It was a weekend she'll never forget.

National diver Pandalela Rinong (pic) was still in a daze after watching her idol, Taiwanese Jay Chou, perform live at the Putra Stadium on Saturday.

She looked tired and was seen yawning a couple of times.

However, her eyes lit up when she was named Top National Athlete of 2010 at the Sportswriters Association of Malaysia-100Plus Media Awards luncheon at a leading hotel in Subang yesterday.

"I'm really happy. I didn't expect it and it's a great feeling. I got to see Jay Chou and now I got this award," said Pandalela.

But Pandalela quickly turned her attention towards qualifying for the London Olympics next year.

"There's going to be a lot of things going on. My next assignment is the Diving World Series in Moscow (March 18-19) but the main aim is to perform well at the 14th Fina World Championships in July.

"I'm looking forward to a good year and hope to perfect my score for a spot in the Olympics."

Meanwhile, Mailsport's sportswriter Haresh Deol was nominated for two awards — for best print story and best commentary.

LIST OF WINNERS


Best Athlete: Pandelela Rinong (Diving); Most Promising Athlete: Yeap Wai Kin (Wushu); Special Award from National Sports Association: Datuk Lee Chong Wei; Outdo Yourself Award: National football team (Asean Cup champions); Best Report (Print): Wan Mohd Fakhrul Anwar (Kosmo!); Best Report (Electronic): Ku Mohd Lufti Ku Yahya (RTM); Best Commentary (Print): Rajes Paul (The Star); Best Commentary (Eletronic): Rozihan Mohd Raji (RTM); Best Photographer: Mazlan Samion (Bernama); Best Special Report: Mohd Zulhelmi Zainal Azam (Astro Awani); Best Reporter: Mohd Zulhelmi Zainal Azam (Astro Awani)

Sportcheck / 100PLUS-SAM Awards: Pandelela Surprise Winner

Pandelela Rinong with her trophy and cheque after she was adjudged the Best Athlete at the 2010 100PLUS-SAM Awards yesterday. — Picture by Intan Nur Elliana Intan Elliana.

NATIONAL diver Pandelela Rinong received a belated birthday present when she was voted Best Athlete at the 2010 100PLUS-SAM Awards in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

The Sarawakian, who turned 18 on Wednesday, is the first diver to win the prestigious award which comes with a cash prize of RM10,000 and a trophy.

Lee Chong Wei, the badminton World No 1, was among those beaten by Pandelela to the top award but he did not go home empty-handed as he took the Special Award.

The national football team, victorious at the recent AFF Suzuki Cup, were also honoured after being presented with the Outdo Yourself Award while wushu exponent Yeap Wai Kin was anointed as the most promising athlete.

Pandelela made history by clinching Malaysia's first ever diving gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi last year when she defeated Olympic medal winners from Australia and Britain to win the 10m platform event.

She also won the silver medal with Leong Mun Yee in the synchronised 10m platform final.

Pandelela was 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 in July last year.

Her two silver medals made her the first Malaysian female to mount the podium at a multi-Games meet organised by the International Olympic Council.

She also marked her Asian Games debut with one silver in the synchronised 10m platform and one bronze medal in the individual discipline.

A stunned Pandelela said: "I can't believe it. I honestly didn't expect to win the award

as I was up against some great champions.

"This is a big honour for me and I hope to build on this success. My main goal is to do well at the World Championships in Shanghai in July as it is an Olympic qualifying event.

"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," said Pandelela.

Besides Chong Wei, Pandelela beat out five-time world squash champion Nicol David, cyclist Azizul Hasni Awang and shooter Nur Suryani to emerge as the best athlete.

WINNERS -- Best Athlete: Pandelela Rinong (diving); Most Promising Athlete: Yeap Wai Kin (wushu); Special Award from National Sports Association: Lee Chong Wei (badminton); Outdo Yourself Award: National football team (AFF Cup champions).



Read more: Sportcheck / 100PLUS-SAM Awards: Pandelela surprise winner http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/o_de_ld-2/Article#ixzz1FvJiMeWK

Diver Pandelela An Unexpected But Deserving Winner Of SAM Award

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.

ASUM Admit Divers Only In Race For The Lesser Medals

FOCUS ON DIVING

COMPETITION DATES: Nov 22-26
VENUE: Aoti Aquatics Centre
EVENTS
MEN: 1m springboard, 3m springboard, 10m platform, 3m springboard synchronised, 10m platform synchronised.
WOMEN: 1m springboard, 3m springboard, 10m platform, 3m springboard synchronised, 10m platform synchronised.
MEDALS AT STAKE: 10-10-10
TEAM MALAYSIA
MEN: Yeoh Ken Nee, Bryan Nickson Lomas, Ooi Tze Liang, Mohd Fakhrul.
WOMEN: Leong Mun Yee, Pandelela Rinong, Wendy Ng Yan Yee, Traisy Vivien, Cheong Jun Hoong.
COACHES: Yang Zhuliang, Lan Wei, Huang Qiang.
TEAM MANAGER: Siow Kian Wah.
MEDAL TARGET: Better the achievement in Doha.
PREVIOUS ACHIEVEMENTS: Busan 2002: 0-0-3 (Bronze: Yeoh Ken Nee – men’s 3m springboard, Yeoh Ken Nee-Rossharisham Roslan – men’s 3m springboard synchronised, Leong Mun Yee-Farah Begum Abdullah – women’s 3m springboard synchronised).
DOHA 2006: 0-1-3 (Silver: Yeoh Ken Nee- Rossharisham Roslan – men’s 3m springboard synchronised; Bronze: Elizabeth Jimie – women’s 1m springboard, Leong Mun Yee – women’s 3m springboard, Leong Mun Yee-Elizabeth Jimie – women’s 3m springboard synchronised).

DIVING has been one of the major success stories from the Jaya ‘98 programme as the divers have evolved from just making up the numbers at the SEA Games level to become medallists at the World Championships and, just recently, the Commonwealth Games.

(The Jaya ‘98 programme was initiated to bring success in the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games.)

The Malaysian diving squad will now be heading to Guangzhou seeking to establish themselves as the second best nation behind China at the Asian Games level.

The national divers may not be facing the likes of Australia, Britain and Canada, as was the case in New Delhi, but it still won’t be a stroll in cool Guangzhou either because they will be up against not just China but also divers from Japan and South Korea.

Pandelela Rinong heads for the Asian Games fresh from her historic gold medal feat in New Delhi, where she put to shame Australian Olympic medallists Melissa Wu and Alexandra Croak with a come-from-behind win in the 10m platform individual final.

The Sarawakian youngster also bagged a silver with Leong Mun Yee in the 10m platform synchronised event and stands a good chance of delivering a double in her Asiad debut.

Yeoh Ken Nee and Bryan Nickson will be hoping to do likewise in the men’s competition, where they will be contending in the springboard and platform disciplines respectively. Ken Nee will also be hoping to defend the silver he won with Rossharisham Roslan in the 3m springboard synchronised event in Doha four years ago. But this time he will be partnering Bryan.

In Doha, Malaysia also bagged three bronze medals from the girls’ competition and the current squad should be aiming for a clutch of silvers.

That will still be an achievement indeed if the divers can pull it off, taking into account the high level of opposition in Guangzhou.

Seven out of China’s 35 Olympic champions set to grace the Asian Games are in the diving squad, who bagged seven of the eight gold medals at stake at the Beijing Olympics two years ago.

Diving star Guo Jinjing is the only one missing from the squad, who also clinched seven gold medals at the World Championships in Rome last year.

Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (Asum) secretary Edwin Chong admitted that “Malaysia are in the race for the lesser medals when it comes to diving at the Asian Games in Guangzhou”.

“The fact that the Chinese divers are competing on homeground makes it even harder as no judge will dare to mark them down,” claimed Edwin.

“The only way for another diver to win is if the Chinese opponent makes a big mistake.

“The problem is they are very consistent and hardly make mistakes as it could be the end of their hopes of competing at the next Olympics.

“As for our top divers, like Pandelela, Mun Yee, Bryan and Ken Nee, the best we can hope for is for them to split the two Chinese divers in the individual to earn a silver.

“It will be a great achievement and it will give us plenty to look forward to at the next Olympics in London in two years’ time.

“We took home four medals in Doha and we are optimistic of improving on the haul.

“Our divers have come a long way. We could not even fight for a bronze at the SEA Games level when the National Sports Council (NSC) helped us set up the diving programme back in 1994. But we have since dominated the sport at the regional level and taken it higher.

“The improvement is there for everyone to see compared to when we won our first diving medal at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan.”

The national divers returned to China after the Commonwealth Games campaign and will head straight to Guangzhou.

After C'wealth Triumph OCM Want Another Best-ever at Asiad

Diving sensations: Leong Mun Yee and Pandelela Rinong showing off the silver medals they won in the 10m synchronised platform diving event upon their arrival at the KL International Airport yesterday. Pandelela also won the gold medal in the 10m platform event at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

NEW DELHI: The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) are pleased and happy with the national athletes’ achievements at the just-concluded New Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Now, they want to see the Malaysian contingent achieve their best-ever gold medal haul at the Guangzhou Asian Games next month.

Malaysia’s best achievement in the Asiad thus far came at the last Games in Doha with an 8-17-17 medal haul.

OCM secretary general Datuk Sieh Kok Chi yesterday challenged the athletes to come good on the bigger stage.

“This is our best ever Common­wealth Games result. We must now rise to the occasion in Guangzhou to achieve our best-ever gold medal tally in the Asian Games as well,” he said.
The 12-10-14 medal haul in New Delhi not only surpassed the 10-gold medal target, it is also the highest number of gold medals won by Malaysia in a Commonwealth Games.

Out of the 14 sports Malaysia competed in, the athletes won medals in 10 sports.

And of the 10 sports that delivered the medals, six sports won gold medals.

“Only athletics, boxing, hockey and rugby 7s failed to deliver any medal,” said Kok Chi.
He pointed out that Malaysia also won gold medals in three sports – cycling, diving and squash – for the first time at the Games.

“As for shooting and rhythmic gymnastics, our athletes won gold medals after a lapse of 12 years – the last time being at the 1998 KL Commonwealth Games,” he said.

“Archery and table tennis won a medal for the first time in the Commonwealth Games as well. This shows that Malaysia has widen its sports base and its athletes are now performing well in more sports.”

He said the good performances in New Delhi would certainly boost the morale and confidence of the Malaysian contingent ahead of next month’s Asian Games.

Shabery And Fans Greet Heroes At KLIA

SEPANG: The badminton, aquatics, squash and athletics squads returned home from New Delhi yesterday.

But it was the highly-successful shuttlers and young diving sensation Pandelela Rinong who received the loudest applause on arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport yesterday.
The squash team returned without gold medallist Nicol David, who will be competing in the Mexico Open (from Oct 18-24). Also absent were Ong Beng Hee, Mohd Azlan Iskandar and Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan, who will be featuring in a tournament in Egypt.

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek was at the airport early in the morning to welcome the athletes home and he was especially pleased with Pandelela’s golden debut at the Games.

Officials from the National Sports Council (NSC) and students from the Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) were also at the airport to welcome the players home with bouquets of flowers.
The 17-year-old Pandelela created history by winning the first ever gold medal in diving at the Commonwealth Games.

The Bidayuh lass even upstaged world class Australian divers Melissa Wu and Alexandra Croak to win the women’s 10m platform gold medal.

She also won a silver with Leong Mun Yee in the synchronised event.

Pandelela, who only joined the national senior team three years ago, was glad that her hard training paid off.

“I feel really honoured to be congratulated by the Sports Minister, NSC officials and my school teachers and classmates at the airport,” said Pandelela, who will receive a total of RM100,000 from the government as incentive for winning a gold and a silver at the Games.

“I am also happy to be the first diver to win the gold medal in the Commonwealth Games. It is indeed a great achievement for me.

“I will not be taking a break as I will leave for China soon to continue my training for the Guangzhou Asian Games.”

Pandelela will continue her training under Chinese coaches Yang Zhuliang and Huang Xiang.
“My mission now is to win medals at the Asian Games. It will not be easy to strike a gold in the Asiad as China have world class divers. I will be more than happy if I can win a silver in the 10m platform event,” said Pandelela, who will also feature in the 10m platform synchronised event.
For the record, the shuttlers bagged four gold medals through Lee Chong Wei (men’s singles), Koo Kien Kiat-Tan Boon Heong (men’s doubles) and Kien Kiat-Chin Eei Hui (mixed doubles) and the team event.

Pandelela Pulls Out From 3M Springboard Event

NEW DELHI Oct 13 — Pandelela Rinong who clinched a gold medal in the Delhi Commonwealth Games Women”s 10m Platform at the Dr S.P. Mukherjee Aquatics Complex on Monday, pulled out from the 3m Springboard event today.

Press attache to the Malaysian contingent, Mohd Rizal Mohd Radzi said the decision to pull Pandelela out of the event was made following her coach”s advice.

"Her coach Yang Zhuliang made the decision firstly because there is no medal potential for her in the event and secondly because she was not even listed to participate in it in the first place,” he told Bernama.

Another reason given was that the 17-year-old girl from Sarawak, who won silver medals in the women”s 10m platform and 3m springboard at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympics last month, has the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China next month to compete.

"So basically, he is saving her for the Asian Games and does not want her to suffer from any injury,” said Mohd Rizal.

Pandelela, sprained her neck a week before leaving for Singapore and competed though she was not completely fit.

Apart from the gold medal, Pandelela Rinong also won the silver along with her partner, Leong Mun Yee, in the Women”s 10m Synchro Platform.

Pandelela qualified for the final with 255.20 points before pulling out.

The task of getting a medal was then left to Ng Yan Yee to shoulder.

However, Yan Yee failed to match the Australian and Canadian divers who were supreme in the event.

She only managed to finish in eighth spot after accumulating 290.15 points.
Sharleen Stratton of Australia won the gold with 376.00 points, Jennifer Abel of Canada the silver (338.55 points) and another Aussie, Jaele Patrick the bronze (326.15 points). — BERNAMA

Ministry’s Full Support For Pandelela

GOLDEN MOMENT: Pandelela competes in the women’s 10m platform diving finals at the Dr SP Mukherjee Aquatics Complex in New Delhi on Monday. — AFP photo

KUCHING: The Social Development and Urbanisation Ministry will continue to give Sarawak’s golden girl Pandelela Rinong Pamg its full support, the Minister Dato Sri William Mawan assured yesterday.

“We will go all out to support her. We have decided to give her incentives in recognition of her outstanding achievement,” he said.

Mawan revealed that the ministry would also be looking for deals with international brands to help Pandelela.

Assuring that she would continue to receive the necessary perks, he said Pandelela now ranked among top national athletes like world number ones Datuk Nicol David (squash) and Datuk Lee Chong Wei (badminton) who have secured lucrative endorsement deals through their world-beating feats.

“If we could do the same for Pandelela, it will greatly improve the livelihood of her family as well as inspire budding athletes in Sarawak to follow in her footsteps,” he added.

Clinching Malaysia’s first ever Commonwealth Games diving gold medal in the women 10m platform in New Dehli on Monday, the 17-year-old’s achievement has made her a sporting household name in the country.

Adding a gold medal to the silver she won with Leong Mun Yee in the 10m synchronise event the day before, the plucky Bidayuh lass has shown that with hard work and commitment, success in sports is possible.

Going through intensive training in Kunming, China, before the XIX Commonwealth Games, she took time out to compete in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, diving her way to a silver medal in the 10m platform behind Asian Youth Games gold medallist Liu Jaio of China.
“We’ll monitor her training and performance. Because she is our pride, the ministry will not just sit and watch. We will support her all the way,” Mawan said, adding that Pandelela’s silver medal in Singapore was as good as her Commonwealth Games gold medal.

Meanwhile, Sarawak State Sports Council (MSNS) director Francis Nyurang Ding said Pandelela’s superb performance showed that MSNS’s development programme was starting to bear fruit.

“We are very happy for her. We always knew she was championship material and she proved that in New Dehli,” he added.

“Not only is the council playing an important role – our athletes’ successes are the cumulative efforts of the coaches, parents and the state government.

“Pandelela represented the country and won the gold medal. Sarawak should be proud of her.”
On money incentives, Francis said: “These will certainly be given to Pandelela but the amount will be further discussed – there is no fixed amount yet.”