Pandelela Rinong: Our new Olympic star

All of Malaysia's hope for Olympic glory was pinned on Lee Chong Wei winning badminton gold at last. But then quietly out of nowhere came a cherubic 19-year-old Sarawakian girl, all 5'3" (160cm) of her, a dark horse at the London Games, to win the bronze medal in the women's 10m individual platform final and dive into history as Malaysia's first female Olympic winner. Not many thought our team could win, especially since they had failed their last six events. But Pandelela Rinong went against the odds and delivered. Her win was our first-ever Olympic medal in a sport other than badminton.

She garnered a total of 359.20 points to finish third behind China's Chen Ruolin who won gold with 422.30 points and Australia's Brittany Broben who took silver on 366.50 points. This also makes Pandelela the first Malaysian woman to win an Olympic medal. Pandelela told reporters she hopes her achievement in London will inspire others to take diving up as a competitive sport. "I'm so happy with winning this medal. It's something that I had only dreamed off and now diving can look at it as a turning point. I feel that a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders and we can now look forward to better times."

Pandelela had a poor start in the final, earning only 58.50 points for her first dive and placing 10th in the ranking. By her third dive, she was still in 10th place—until her last two dives were well received by the judges, netting 81.60 and 76.80 points. "After the first dive, I told myself not to be worried and to stay calm," she said. "At that point I wasn't thinking of a medal at all. I just wanted to do my best. I'm glad that my routines worked and some of the others registered lower points." This may be Pandelela's most high-profile feat but it's not her first achievement by far. At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, she won bronze in the women's 10m synchronised platform final with Mun Yee Leong.

She then took silver at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore in the girls' 10m platform and 3m springboard finals. Finally at the Commonwealth Games 2010 in New Delhi, she was champion of the women's 10m platform final and came home with Malaysia's first gold from the games.

Malaysian Diver Pandelela Rinong Wins Olympic Bronze Medal in Olympic 2012 Diving - Women 10m Platform

Our national diver, Pandelela Rinong helped Malaysia got its 2nd 2012 Olympic medal today! The 19 year old Sarawakian lass put up a calm and excellent dive in the last round (Round 5) to ensure a medal spot after beating other contestants in this tightly-compete event. Pandelela Rinong was at the 7th spot after Round 4 with 282.40 points in this tough competition. In Round 5 (final round), she managed to pull off a climax with a score of 76.80 to finish at 359.20, leading the competition right after her jump before being overtaken by the silver medalist, Australian Brittany Broben which scored an overall total of 366.50 points. The champion of Diving - Women 10m event was none other than the 2008 Olympic gold medalist Chen Ruolin from China, who managed to retain her title as world champion with a magnificent 422.30 points, which is 55.80 points ahead of her closest contender.

Pandelela Rinong awarded the NPC-Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin SM Amin 1Malaysian of the Year award

Pandelela Rinong, our London Olympics diving bronze medalist, has been awarded the National Press Club (NPC) – Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin SM Amin 1Malaysian of the Year award. The Sarawakian lass was presented the award by PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who was accompanied by Puan Sri Datin Seri Utama Zaleha Ismail, director of the Naza Group, at the NPC Awards 2012 two days ago. Pandelela created history in July when she became the first Malaysian female athlete to win a medal at the Olympics by finishing the women’s 10-metre individual platform diving event with third highest points. Her bronze is also Malaysia’s first-ever medal in a sport other than badminton. “Her achievements were no easy feat and she proved that Malaysians can compete with the world’s best at the highest level. Moreover, she reminded us that with hard work, passion and determination, anything is possible and will inspire a new generation of athletes to strive for excellence,” said SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin, joint group executive chairman of the Naza Group. Named after the Naza Group’s late founder, the NPC – Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin SM Amin 1Malaysian of the Year award seeks to honour Malaysians who have excelled in their respective fields. The inaugural award in 2010 was awarded to cartoonist Datuk Mohd Nor Khalid, more popularly known as Lat. Last year, cyclist Azizulhasni Awang was honoured. Besides the Olympic bronze, Pandelela had previously won a gold medal in the 10-metre individual platform diving event at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, the first Commonwealth Games diving medal for Malaysia.

Life-changing experience for Pandelela

KUALA LUMPUR: London Olympic diving bronze medallist Pandelela Rinong is still a teenager but her family’s welfare is very much on her mind. The 19-year-old has said that she will use the money earned from the incentives she has received so far to provide for a more comfortable life for her family. Pandelela has been rewarded with hundreds of thousands of dollars from various quarters over the past three weeks, with the latest being a RM90,000 insurance policy under the Carlsberg Retirement Scheme from the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) yesterday. Pandelela was rewarded with RM100,000 by The Star and RM300,000 by the government immediately after becoming the first Malaysian woman medal winner at the Olympics.

She has also expressed her desire to pursue Sports Science at Universiti Malaya and, as such, she can opt to turn the four-year scholarship offer to study in Australia from the Sarawak government into share units if she wants to. The Bidayuh girl described winning the Olympic bronze medal as “a life-changing experience” – allowing her to provide a better life for her parents and siblings with the monetary rewards earned. ”My dream home is a bungalow. Who doesn’t want to own one?” she said. “Realistically, I want to have my own house ... I am thinking of buying a terrace house in Kuala Lumpur and another one in Sarawak. “Nothing is certain yet but my intention is to give my family a better life. The house we are staying at in Kuching does not belong completely to us as we are still paying for it,” added Pandelela, who is the second eldest of four siblings. The diver has also reaped nearly RM200,000 in incentives over the last three years, having done well in the New Delhi Commonwealth Games, Guangzhou Asian Games and the Diving World Series. Pandelela bought her father Pamg Joheng, a contract labourer who earns RM45 a day, a new Proton Exora to replace the Mitsubishi Trident that has been the family’s only vehicle for the last 14 years. National badminton champion Lee Chong Wei also secured an insurance policy worth RM260,000 following his two silver medal successes in two Olympic Games – London 2012 and Beijing 2008. The insurance scheme so far has 88 recipients with a total value of RM3.13mil. It is only for Olympic medallists and Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold medallists. The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) will finance the premium for each recipient for a period of 14 years. Pandelela later joined her diving team-mates – Wendy Ng Yan Yee and Cheong Jun Hoong – to perform the current K-Pop dance craze “Oppa Gangnam Style”.

Nadai Nama Nama Welcomes Pandelela

It was reported that she has not returned to Sarawak for 10 months as she was training intensively for the London Olympics 2012 across the South China Sea. Though her arrival was during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays, a large welcoming crowd turned up at the VIP Arrival Hall getting ready to welcome our Diving Queen.

The welcoming party was a multi vehicle and multicultural event as the pictures below will show. Everyone was anxious to catch a glimpse of this VIP in the person of Pandelela Rinong, Malaysia's diving Queen, Sarawak's young heroine and the Bidayuh community's pride. Maybe that is how I should sum it up as there are many articles and pictures of her floating around in the main media and the internet. There was no protocol needed here as everyone was at the airport to be part of this historic moment. How often does one get to see an Olympian in real live, a Sarawakian Olympian some more. For me, I'll call this Halley's Comet moment maybe as the comet takes 76 years to travel around our sun (eclipses be it moon or sun happen more often). Of course I'll be almost 50 when the next Olympic in Rio happens and only God knows if I am still around.

Bronze for heroic Pandelela

LONDON: Malaysia's desire for an Olympic medal -- from a sport other than badminton -- was fulfilled at the London Olympics Aquatic Centre in the early hours of Friday when diver Pandelela Rinong lived up to expectations to deliver the 10m platform bronze.

It was a magnificent medal to win, considering the pressure the 19-year-old was under after a poor first dive left her in 10th place in the 12-diver field. Pandelela, however, heeded coach Yang Zhuliang's advise for her to remain calm and focus on her remaining dives and the Sarawakian slowly but surely pulled herself back into contention as her main challengers wilted. In fact, had it not been for the first dive - which gave her only 58.50 points, Pandelela could have well won the silver as her final total of 359.20 points was not too far off silver medallist Brittany Broben of Australia's total of 366.50. China's Chen Ruolin was a runaway winner with 422.30. Pandelela, however, was too excited to think about missing out on silver. "This is a massive achievement for Malaysian diving and I am so proud of becoming the first Malaysian from outside badminton to win a medal at the Olympics for Malaysia. I can't believe it," said Pandelela. After her first dive, Pandelela found the consistency she required as she scored 78.30, 64.00, 81.60 and 76.80. It was the fourth dive which pulled her back into reckoning and the fifth sealed her third place after Australia's Melissa Wu failed to achieve the score needed to overcome Pandelela. "My coach told me to forget about the first dive, stay calm and focus on the remaining dives," said Pandelela, whose first thought was to call her family after fulfilling her media obligations. "My mother, who was here, had returned home but I will call her once I find my phone." The bronze means Pandelela has won a medal at every level, including a silver in the 10m platform at the 2010 Junior Olympics at Sydney. It also means she will receive RM150,000 from the National Sports Council and a lifetime pension of RM2,000 monthly. "I hope this inspires more Malaysians to take up the sport as diving can bring honour to Malaysia." The nation certainly agrees, thanks to Pandelela.

Pandelela and Mun Yee score a first for Malaysia in GP circuit diving

PETALING JAYA: The top Malaysian diving pair of Pandelela Rinong-Leong Mun Yee almost did not take part in the German Open in Rostock due to the plume of volcanic ash spreading from Iceland. The team’s flight to the city in northern Germany last Tuesday arrived 30 minutes before the authorities closed the airport. And Pandelela-Mun Yee should be thanking their lucky stars that they got to compete in the Open and went on to carve out a historic achievement for Malaysia in diving last Sunday.

Pandelela-Mun Yee won the women’s 10m platform synchronised event and they are the first Malaysian divers to come out tops in the World Diving Grand Prix. The duo held off the Chinese back-up pair of Si Yajie-Xing Yiying in the last two attempts to secure the gold on 312.96. Yajie-Yiying had made a mess of the second dive to drop to fourth place. But the Chinese pair, who had the combined highest total difficulties of 13.7 in the field, recovered to take silver on 309.00. Germany's Nora Subschinski-Christin Steuer took bronze on 300.54. Pandelela-Mun Yee, who went in on a combined total difficulties of 13.4, took advantage of a narrow lead after the second dive and pressed on for a breakthrough victory. It was also the second medal for Pandelela in the meet after claiming a silver in the individual platform discipline last Friday. Pandelela was delighted with their efforts and considered it a good boost ahead of their world championship campaign in Shanghai in July where they are hoping to at least match their bronze medal-winning performance at the previous meet. In Rome two years ago, they landed the first world championship medal for Malaysia in aquatics. But the stake will be even higher in Shanghai this time as the top three pairs earn early qualification for the London Olympics next year. The German Open was the last meet for us before the world championships. The coach felt this will be a good tune-up as we can see what we need to improve on before we go to Shanghai,said Pandelela, who will head for China together with her team-mates for centralised training. âs a pleasant surprise to win the gold medal here but we still have a lot to work on as the competition is stronger at the world championships. Bryan Nickson’s campaign in the men's 10m platform ended with a fifth-place finish in the semi-finals. In the women's 3m springboard synchronised final, Mun Yee paired up with Wendy Ng for fourth place. Cheong Jun Hoong reached the women's 3m springboard final for the first time on a GP circuit meet last Saturday and finished sixth.

Diving / German Open: Golden boost for pair

PANDELELA Rinong and Leong Mun Yee etched their names into history books by becoming the first Malaysian divers to come out tops in a World Diving Grand Prix event on Sunday. Pandelela-Mun Yee achieved it by winning the women's 10-metre platform synchronised discipline in the German Open in Rostock. The pair were given some anxious moments before edging China's national back-up pairing of Si Yajie-Xing Yiying to secure the title with a 312.96 points total. The China pair's poor second dive relegated them to second with a 309.00 total. Germany's Nora Subschinski-Christin Steuer grabbed the bronze with 300.54 points. Pandelela-Mun Yee, who went in on a combined total difficulty of 13.4, led by a narrow margin after the China made their mistake in the second dive and the Malaysians never looked back after. It was Pandelela's second medal of the meet as she had claimed the silver in the individual platform discipline on Friday. Pandelela-Mun Yee, however, almost did not make it for the competition due to the plume of volcanic ash spreading from Iceland. The diving team's flight to Rostock last Tuesday arrived only half an hour before the airport was closed down. The feat will definitely give the pair confidence ahead of the World Championships in Shanghai in July, where they are hoping to retain the bronze they won in Rome two years ago. The stakes, however, are higher this time in the world meet as the top three pairs will qualify for next year's London Olympics. "It's a pleasant win but we still have a lot to work on as the competition will be stronger at the world meet. We need to practice harder as it is the only way to earn a ticket to the Olympics," said Pandelela in an e-mail yesterday. Bryan Nickson Lomas' campaign in the men's 10m platform ended when he finished fifth in the semi-finals with 461.30 points. Mun Yee also paired up with Wendy Ng to finish fourth in the women's 3m springboard synchronised final (260.70) while Cheong Jun Hoong reached the women's 3m springboard final of the grand prix circuit for the first time on Saturday. The divers will head to China for training as a final tune-up before the world meet.

Pandelela And Mun Yee Hope To Qualify For 10m Platform Synchronized Diving On Merit

KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 (Bernama) -- Malaysian divers Pandelela Rinong and Leong Mun Yee hope to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics 10m Platform Synchronized diving on merit, to enhance Malaysia's medal chances. Though Pandelela has already qualified for the Olympics in the 10m Platform individual event, she hopes to feature in the 10m Platform Synchronized as well, with her partner Mun Yee who has yet to qualify. The duo will have a great opportunity to do so at the FINA Diving World Cup in London, early next year. Pandelela, 18, who qualified for the London Olympics after finishing among the top 12 divers in the world at the FINA World Diving Championships in Shanghai, China last week, admitted that she and Mun Yee were determined to qualify for the Olympics since it would further boost chances of winning medals in London. She expressed confidence that her partner Mun Yee, 27, would surpass the qualifying mark to earn a ticket to London. "Our chances of winning a medal is better in the 10m platform Synchronized diving compared with my favourite event, the 10m Platform individual, since China will only be sending one pair compared with the individual event where we will have to compete against two Chinese divers. "We have to seize the opportunity to qualify for the 10m Platform Synchronized event. If not it will hamper of medal hopes," Pandelela told Bernama when met in Bukit Jalil today. Pandelela who will be competing in her second Olympics after having featured in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, said the divers from China would be the main obstacle in London. "Diving is a subjective sport but China have a firm monopoly in the men and women competitions. With such a reputation, they will always be able to influence the jury and may have a slight advantage over others. The Sarawakian who will be making her debut at the World University Games (Universiade) in Shenzhen, China later this month said she has not set any specific target for the Universiade. After the Universiade, she would continue her training under Chinese coach Yang Zhu Liang, to prepare for the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia in November.

Pandelela Rinong ‘Dayung Timogah Bung Bratak’

Pandelela Rinong ‘Dayung Timogah Bung Bratak’ (Bung Bratak Heroine). The achievement that make our Sarawak proud for her. Pandelela was awarded the ‘Dayung Timogah Bung Bratak’ (Bung Bratak Heroine) title by the Bung Bratak community. Diving sensation Pandelela Rinong attributed her success at the London 2012 Olympics to the fighting spirit of Bidayuh warriors Panglima Kulow and Panglima Mayo. The bronze medalist from Kampung Jugan said: “The fighting spirit of Bung Bratak warriors like Panglima Kulow and Panglima Mayo inspired me to give it my all. “I will always remember it, and I will work hard to do my best for the country, our state, and especially the Bidayuh community.” She received: 1. RM25,000 by the Bung Bratak Heritage community, 2. RM20,000 from Musyati Sdn Bhd 3. RM5,000 from former Tasik Biru assemblyman John Lee Nyan Choi. 4. Scooter worth RM4,000 from Demak Motor by general manager Lim Boo Hiong. We share the joy's of our diving Queen Pandelela Rinong.

SEA GAMES: Pandelela Rounds Off Diving Competition In Style

PALEMBANG, Nov 16 (Bernama) -- Pandelela Rinong Pamg provided the icing on the cake for the Malaysian diving contingent when she snatched the final gold on offer in diving at the 26th SEA Games in Indonesia Wednesday. Not only did Pandelela win the gold, the 18-year-old also silenced the partisan crowd who had come in droves to see the diving action at the Jakabaring Aquatics Centre here, with an impressive score of 342.90 points overall in the 10m platform individual. "Today I just did my normal diving because the competition here is not so stiff. I did not even need to go for a higher DD (degree of difficulty). "However, I was not satisfied with my third and fourth dives. I encountered some problems as I was making my plunge," she said. Besides Pandelela's gold, SEA Games debutant Kam Ling Kar also won a silver for Malaysia in the same event. "Obviously, I am no match for Pandelela," said Kam, a double gold medallist in diving in the Malaysia Games. Malaysia's final tally in diving here was seven gold, three silver and a bronze. -- BERNAMA

Pandelela and Mun Yee get to compete again at Diving World Series

PETALING JAYA: Pandelela Rinong and Leong Mun Yee will keep the Malaysian flag flying again in the FINA Diving World Series next year. The duo are the only Malaysians to make the top 10 of the world rankings for 2011 and that guarantees them berths in the prestigious series. The 2012 calendar for the series, which is for the top ranked 10 divers in the respective disciplines, features competitions in Dubai (March 16-17), Beijing (March 23-24), Moscow (April 13-14) and Tijuana, Mexico, (April 20-21). Pandelela is ranked third behind two Chinese divers Hu Yadan and the world and Olympic champion Chen Ruolinin the women's 10m platform individual event. Fellow Sarawakian Traisy Vivien, who won her first SEA Games gold medal in Indonesia last month, is ranked 16th. The 17-year-old Pandelela, who made history as Malaysia's first Commonwealth Games diving gold medallist in New Delhi last year, rode on several breakthrough achievements to finish ahead of 2009 world champion Paola Espinosa in the world rankings for the season. Pandelela started with silver medals in the 10m platform individual and synchro with Mun Yee at the World Series leg in Beijing in February. Pandelela then scored a historic first for Malaysia by partnering Mun Yee to the synchro gold at the German Open in May where she also took silver in the 10m platform individual. Pandelela was also the silver medallist at the World University Games in Shenzhen in August and has already qualified for the London Olympics after finishing fifth in the World Championships in Shanghai this year. The performances of Pandelela and Mun Yee also saw Malaysia ranked third behind China and Australia in the women's 10m platform synchro ahead of Canada. Germany, Ukraine, Britain, Mexico, Russia and United States make up the top 10 rankings for women's 10m platform synchro.

DIVING: Pandelela soaring high

Coach Yang Zhuliang's gamble in opting for Pandelela-Jun Hoong ahead of the more experienced Leong Mun Yee-Wendy Ng Yan Yee, paid off with a Malaysian pair breaching the 300-point barrier for the first time to secure qualification. They finished sixth in the final with a 300.90 total. Prior to the event, Pandelela secured Olympic berths in the 10m platform individual and synchro. China's He Zi and Wu Minxia grabbed the title with 345.30 points ahead of Canada's Jennifer Abel-Emilie Heymans (321.90) and Italy's Tania Cagnotto-Francesca Dallape (317.40). Pandelela-Jun Hoong's success meant that the national team have earned three quota spots in synchro disciplines for the first time in Olympic history, where Malaysia will be the only Asian country apart from China to compete in this category. Bryan Nickson Lomas-Huang Qiang took bronze en route to earning an Olympic berth in the men's 3m springboard synchro followed by Pandelela and Leong Mun Yee in the women's 10m platform synchro. Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia secretary Edwin Chong said yesterday: "We tried out a new combination (Pandelela-Jun Hoong) as we felt that Mun Yee-Wendy (Asian Games silver medallists) were not on form of late. "It is a great achievement for Malaysian diving as we have divers in three of the four synchro events at the Olympics." Ooi Tze Liang and Wendy were due to compete in the men's 10m platform and women's 3m springboard individual disciplines yesterday.

DIVING: Pandelela-Mun Yee take silver at World Series

PANDELELA Rinong and Leong Mun Yee marked their status as one of the medal contenders at the Olympic Games by bagging a silver medal in the women's 10-metre platform synchro in the Diving World Series opening leg in Dubai on Saturday. Pandelela-Mun Yee, who earned an Olympic quota spot at last month's World Cup in London, finished strongly in their last three dives to post a total of 318.38 points to finish second in a field, comprising Olympic, world and continental champions. The achievement is timely for the Malaysian pair ahead of the Olympics where they are hoping to earn the country's first Olympic medal in diving. Pandelela, who is from Sarawak, was also on the podium on Friday for her bronze medal effort in the platform individual. On Saturday, they were fifth after two dives out of seven finalists but moved one rung up on 72.80 before posting 73.92 in the fourth round to move into the top-three bracket. Pandelela-Mun Yee were then battling for the silver and bronze with Canada's Meaghan Benfeito-Roseline Filion and Mexico's Paola Espinosa-Alejandra Orozco. In the fifth and final dive, Pandelela-Mun Yee turned in a flawless attempt and the judges awarded the pair 72.96 points for the silver ahead of bronze medallists Benfeito-Filion, the silver medallists at the World Cup. China's world champions Chen Ruolin-Wan Hao, as expected, led from start to finish to take gold on 344.40 while Germany' Christin Steuer-Nora Subschinski, the bronze medallists at last year's World Championships in Shanghai , finished fifth with 307.53. Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia secretary Edwin Chong said Pandelela and Mun Yee have improved but their scores are still not good enough to challenge China at the moment. "We are, however, delighted with their achievement in Dubai. It will help them with their confidence ahead of the Olympics as they will face the same competitors in London," said Edwin yesterday. They divers will head to Beijing for the second leg of the series this weekend. The third (Moscow) and fourth (Mexico) legs are scheduled for next month.

D-day for diving duo Pandelela and Mun Yee

WILL Malaysia finally land their first medal of the London Olympics today? Will all the hype about the sports, other than badminton, providing medals come true? Divers Pandelela Rinong and Leong Mun Yee may provide the answer when they go into action in the women’s synchronised 10m platform at the Aquatics Centre at the Olympic Park today. So far, it has been one negative story after another as our athletes fall by the wayside. Only the doubles pair of Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong have provided some cheer by making it to the quarter-finals. In fact, their early performances suggest they could win a medal as badminton, once again, proves to be the only sport Malaysians can rely on to deliver at the Olympics. But Pandelela and Mun Yee are considered serious medal prospects in their pet event and it would be a huge boost to the contingent if they do succeed. Thus, at 11pm today, Malaysians can see if the nation will finally be delivered a medal. Even a gold â€" if some of the officials are to be believed. But the divers themselves do not promise anything other than to say that they will do their level best. Pandelela competed in the synchronised 3m springboard with Cheong Jun Hoong on Sunday. It is not an event they excel in and was more a trial run for the other challenges ahead. So it was no surprise that they finished last in the eight-team contest. These girls are level-headed and know exactly what to do. They will not put unnecessary pressure on themselves although they are single-minded in their purpose. Tonight will tell if their faith and dedication match their ability to perform at the very highest stage. The others in the contingent still in contention will be looking to take their cue from Pandelela and Mun Yee. So far shooting, fencing and the road racers are done with the Games. Shooter Nur Suryani Taibi and fencer Yu Peng Kean did well under the circumstances but they were clearly out of their league against the world’s best. The eight-month pregnant Suryani gave it her best shot and is an inspiration to all Malaysians, not only the women. Hopefully, these athletes will learn from the experience and take their game to the next level. Road racers Adiq Hussaine Othman and Amir Mustafa Rusli were here just for the experience. They did not pretend to be medal prospects and did not even finish the race. Time will tell if they learnt anything from their London adventure. Otherwise, competing in an arena like the Olympics will always remain a learning curve. And that elusive gold medal will remain out of reach.

Pandelela wins historic diving bronze in 10m platform

LONDON: Pandelela Rinong has created Malaysian diving history. The 19-year-old from Sarawak won a bronze medal in the women's 10m individual platform event at the Aquatics Centre early Friday. It was Malaysia's first-ever Olympics medal in a sport other than badminton, besides making Pandelela the first Malaysian woman to win an Olympics medal.

She garnered a total of 359.20 points to finish behind China's Chen Ruolin, who won the gold on 422.30 points while Brittany Broben from Australia won the silver on 366.50 points. Although diving had promised a medal here, not many had given the team a chance, especially since they had failed in their last six events. But Pandelela delivered. Her feat also helped the national contingent match Malaysia’s best placing in the Olympics - the silver and bronze won at the Atlanta Games in 1996.

Then, the badminton doubles pairing of Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock won the silver while Rashid Sidek won the bronze in the men's singles. Pandelela said she hoped her achievement in London 2012 would inspire others to take up diving as a competitive event. "I am so happy with winning this medal. It is something that I had only dreamt off and now diving can look at it as a turning point.

"I feel that a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders and we can now look forward to better times," she said. Pandelela started off the final poorly, getting only 58.50 points for her first dive to be placed in 10th spot. Up to the third dive, she was still in 10th place but her final two dives were well-received by the judges and netted 81.60 and 76.80 points respectively. "After the first dive, I told myself not to be worried and to stay calm. At that point I was not thinking of a medal at all. I just wanted to do my best. "I am glad that my routines worked and some of the others registered slightly lower points," she said.

Ministry Ready To Consider Adding More Experienced Diving Coaches

LUNDU (Sarawak), Aug 27 (Bernama) -- The Youth and Sports Ministry are ready to consider requests from the diving fraternity to employ additional diving coaches. Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said following the success of diver Pandelela Rinong to win a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, there was no doubt that the services of diving coaches from countries like China, would boost Malaysia's medal hopes. "It will be good to have the services of formidable foreign coaches and it will not be wrong to give them permanent resident status," he told reporters at a function to celebrate Pandelela's success at Kampung Jugan here Monday. Ahmad Shabery said the request would be submitted to the cabinet for approval. He added that Pandelela's achievement in the Olympics and other international competitions has boosted Malaysia's confidence of matching other diving powers in the world.

DIVING: Shining stars

BRIGHT CHANCE: Pandelela and Mun Yee under pressure to deliver

PANDELELA Rinong made her entry into the national team only five years ago but she is now the brightest gem in Malaysian diving. Pandelela has achieved many firsts for local diving and if the 19-year-old continues with her form, she could be Malaysia's first Olympic medallist in the sport. The Kuching-born diver will be hoping to cap her fine season with an Olympic medal but awaiting her in London is a host of world class divers, also hoping to make the podium. It will be a busy Olympic session for the youngster as she will be down for three events 10m platform individual and synchro; and 3m springboard synchro in London. Pandelela, a Commonwealth Games champion, has a good chance of a medal in the platform synchro with Leong Mun Yee. The pressure is on them to deliver as they are the third ranked pair in the world. Pandelela-Mun Yee first made history by becoming Malaysia's first World Championship medallists, a bronze, in Rome, three years ago and continued their progress by finishing on the podium in several tournaments. “We are among the best in the world but we will have seven other polished pairs gunning for medals in our event in London. I do not want to put pressure on myself by saying we can win a medal. I believe that as long we execute our dives well, we will earn a good result. Mun Yee and I have been trying out new routines and I believe we are ready to push for medals,said Pandelela, who was last year's National Sportswoman of the Year. Pandelela made her Olympic debut at the Beijing Games four years ago, but failed badly finishing 27th in the platform individual but since then she has improved tremendously. I was nervous in Beijing as it was my first Olympics. It was a tough competition but the experience has made me wiser. I know what to expect in London,she said. The Sea Games champion was more interested with toys than diving before a state coach handpicked her for aquatics when she was eight. Pandelela was not a good swimmer and had to be taught the basics of floating before she took her first plunge from a springboard at nine and five years on, after winning several local diving competitions, was selected to join the national squad. Her best achievement was winning the platform individual gold at the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games by edging leading Australian diver Melissa Wu. That was my personal best. It was a glorious day not only for me but also for Malaysian diving,said Pandelela, the Malaysian flag-bearer for the London Games. Pandelela,a big fan of South Korean music and drama, has won medals in all major diving events except at the Olympics, which she hopes to achieve in London. As for Mun Yee, a veteran of three Olympics, will become only the second local athlete apart from sailor Kevin Lin to compete in four editions when she starts her campaign in London. This should be my last Olympics and I will try my best to win a medal. I have put off my semester studies each year when there is a major championships. Many of my course mates are already working but I have yet to graduate,said Mun Yee, who has been studying at Universiti Putra Malaysia for the last six years. Mun Yee, who made her Olympic debut in Sydney, 12 years ago, plans to retire after London. Name: Leong Mun Yee Date of birth: December 4, 1984 Place of birth: Ipoh Career achievements: Sea Games 2001 Kuala Lumpur: four gold (3m springboard individual and synchro with Rosatimah Mohamed; and 10m platform individual and synchro with Rosatimah Mohamed); 2003 Hanoi: one gold (10m platform), one silver (10m platform synchro with Cheong Jun Hoong) and one bronze (3m springboard); 2005 Manila: two gold (10m platform individual and synchro with Cheong Jun Hoong), two silver (1m and 3m springboard) and one bronze (3m springboard synchro with Cheong Jun Hoong); 2007 Korat: two gold (1m springboard individual and synchro with Elizabeth Jimie) and one silver (3m spring board); 2009 Laos: two gold (3m springboard synchro with Wendy Ng; and 10m platform synchro) and one bronze (3m springboard); 2011 Palembang: two gold (3m springboard synchro with Wendy Ng and 10m platform synchro with Traisy Vivien); Asian Games2002 Busan: one bronze (3m springboard synchro with Farah Begum Abdullah); 2006 Doha: two bronze (3m springboard individual and synchro with Elizabeth Jimie); 2010 Guangzhou: two silver (3m springboard synchro with Wendy Ng and 10m platform synchro); Commonwealth Games 2010 New Delhi: one silver (10m platform synchro); World Championships 2009 Rome: one bronze (10m platform synchro); Diving World Series' 2011 Beijing leg: one silver (10m platform synchro); 2012 Dubai leg: one silver (10m platform synchro); Moscow leg: one bronze (10m platform synchro); Universiade 2011 Shenzhen: one bronze (10m platform synchro); German Open 2011: one gold (10m platform synchro) London expectations: A medal contender in the 10m platform synchro (with Pandelela Rinong). Competition date: July 31 (10m platform synchro with Pandelela Rinong). Name: Pandelela Rinong Date of birth: March 2, 1993 Place of birth: Kuching Career achievements: Sea Games 2007 Korat: one gold (10m platform synchro with Cheong Jun Hoong) and one silver (10m platform); 2009 Laos: two gold (10m platform individual and syn chro); 2011 Palembang: one gold (10m platform); Asian Games â€" 2010 Guangzhou: one silver (10m platform synchro) and one bronze (10m platform individual); Commonwealth Games 2010 New Delhi: one gold (10m platform) and one silver (10m platform synchro); World Championships 2009 Rome: one bronze (10m platform synchro); Diving World Series' 2011 Moscow leg: one silver (10m platform) Beijing leg: one silver (10m platform synchro); 2012 Dubai leg: one silver (10m platform synchro) and one bronze (10m platform); Beijing leg: one bronze (10m platform); Moscow leg: one bronze (10m platform synchro) Leong Mun Yee-Pandelela Rinong finished overall third on the tour rankings Diving Grand Prix â€" 2010 Montreal leg: one gold (10m platform); Youth Olympics; 2010 Singapore: two silver (3m spring board and 10m platform); Universiade 2011 Shenzhen: one silver (10m platform) and one bronze (10m platform synchro); German Open 2011: one gold (10m platform synchro) and one silver (10m platform) London expectations: A medal contender in the 10m platform individual and synchro (with Leong Mun Yee). Competition dates: July 29 (3m springboard synchro with Cheong Jun Hoong); July 31 (10m platform synchro with Leong Mun Yee); Aug 8-9 (10m platform). All synchro medals won was with Leong Mun Yee unless stated

DIVING: Pandelela raises the bar again

OLYMPIC-bound diver Pandelela Rinong lived up to expectations when she clinched the gold medal in the women's 10m platform individual final at the Montreal leg of the FINA Grand Prix on Sunday. The 19-year-old, who was widely expected to challenge for honours in the absence of China's elite divers, was consistent throughout the final, recording scores of 72.00, 72.50 and 64.00 in her first three attempts and rounded off her performance with two excellent dives of 86.40 and 84.80 to score a 379.70 total. In second place was home favourite Roseline Fillon of Canada who scored 363.85 while Australia's Melissa Wu took the bronze with 360.25. Pandelela, together with partner Leong Mun Yee, had on Saturday finished a disappointing fifth in the 10m platform synchronised event final. Meanwhile, the men's 3m springboard individual final saw Huang Qiang finish a commendable fourth in the event. The China-born diver, competing in only his second tournament as a Malaysian athlete, registered scores of 77.50, 75.00, 82.25 in his first three attempts but was hampered by a poor fourth dive of 56.10. He, however, recovered in his last two dives which were awarded 86.70 and 85.00 for a 462.55 total. Australia's Ethan Warren won the gold medal with a total score of 511.75 while Canada's Alexandre Despatie took the silver with 497.20. Spain's Javier Illana finished third with 482.60. The result bodes well for Huang, who has been earmarked by national diving coach Yang Zhuliang to take the quota spot in the event, won by Bryan Nickson Lomas, at the London Olympics. Huang, together with Bryan, had on Saturday won the gold medal in the 3m springboard synchronised final. The Malaysian divers will now head to the United States for the Fort Lauderdale leg of the FINA Grand Prix which starts on Thursday.

Great chance for Pandelela to top Diving World Series

KUALA LUMPUR: Newly-crowned National Sportswoman for 2011 Pandelela Rinong could break new ground when she competes in the final round of the FINA Diving World Series in Tijuana, Mexico, this weekend. Reigning Olympic champion Chen Ruolin and her World Championships silver medallist team-mate Hu Yadan are conspicuously missing from the list of entries for the women’s 10m platform individual. This paves the way for Pandelela to become the overall winner of the prestigious series, which is exclusive to the top eight divers in the world, for the first time. Pandelela will bag the overall title for the 10m platform individual if she can finish second this weekend. Ruolin leads the standings after three rounds with 54 points while Pandelela is second on 40, two more than Yadan. But she faces stiff competition from Mexico’s Paola Espinosa, the 2009 world champion, and Iulia Prokopchuk, the Ukrainian who finished with silver ahead of Yadan in Moscow last weekend. Espinosa, who is in fifth place with 26 points, can capture the overall title if she wins the gold and will be banking on home ground advantage while the Canadian duo of Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion will also be making a strong push. The top three podium spots are worth 18, 16 and 14 points respectively. Malaysia are second in the 10m platform synchro, but Pandelela-Leong Mun Yee can only hope to finish second overall at best, as Ruolin is competing with regular partner Wang Hao. After three rounds, China lead comfortably with 81 points ahead of Canada (66) and Malaysia (63). Fatigue will be a big factor in Pandelela’s chase for glory in the Mexican city. Pandelela, who only left last night on the 21-hour journey to join Mun Yee for the series finale, said the back sprain suffered before the Beijing round is still troubling her. “It affected me a bit in Moscow but the National Sports Institute masseur is accompanying me and I hope it will help. “It’s a very long journey and I will only have half a day to practise as competition starts on Friday. The 10m platform individual is on the first day and I don’t have the advantage of proper rest unlike the others, who left for Tijuana a few days earlier. “It will be tiring but I want to do well to maintain my rankings for next year,” said Pandelela, who has yet to miss out on the podium this year. Pandelela bagged bronze in the 10m platform individual and partnered Mun Yee to silver in the synchro in the opening leg in Dubai. She claimed another bronze in the following round in Beijing. She missed out with fourth place in the individual event in Moscow last weekend but rebounded to clinch the 10m platform synchro bronze with Mun Yee the next day.

Cool and Committed Malaysian- Pandelela Rinong

The Merdeka Cool and Committed Malaysians stories continue with Pandelela Rinong, Malaysia’s diving queen and the winner of the bronze medal in the 10m platform diving at the 2012 London Olympic Games. Pandelela Rinong anak Pamg was born on 2 March 1993. She comes from Bau in Sarawak. She started diving at the age of seven. Her family in Bau was not well-to-do – her father Pamg Joheng was a contract labourer earning little. Pamg Joheng never went far in his studies. Knowing just how tough life was without education, he vowed his children would never have to go through what he went through during his younger days. Pamg Joheng slaved and sacrificed everything for his children. He would hop on his trusty old motorcycle to send Pandelela and her brother for training. Pamg has been quoted as saying “I wanted them to be better than me and I am willing to do everything for them” Spurred on by her parents and her coaches, Pandelela started to show signs of greatness. She was selected to represent Sarawak and continued her training at the Bukit Jalil Sports School in Kuala Lumpur. Folks, don’t for a moment think diving is an easy sport. It is tough. Divers suffer injuries all the time. Divers, especially the platform divers, are prone to neck, shoulder and back injuries. Repeated impact to their wrists, shoulders and head often leads to serious injuries. It takes a lot of guts to climb up the platform and jump over 30ft into the water, hundreds of times a day. It takes years and years of practice to be able to dive with grace and perfection. If you, like me, wonder how the divers execute such difficult dives continuously – just remember that berat mata memandang, berat lagi bahu yang memikul. If it looks difficult, it is difficult. It is actually damn bloody difficult. It requires you to sacrifice a big part of your life – training, training and training. Many Malaysians only heard about Pandelela for the first time after her feat at the London Olympics. But Pandelela has been kicking-ass all over the place long before that. After winning tonnes of titles at the local level, her first major success at the international level came at the 2007 SEA Games when she was 14 years old. She won the 10m synchro 10m platform event, partnering Cheong Jun Hoong. She subsequently won two golds medals in the 2009 SEA Games. At the 2009 World Championships in Rome, she won a bronze medal in the Women's 10 m Synchronized Platform with Mun Yee Leong and placed 5th in the Women's 10 m platform. She also competed in the Women's 10 m platform at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She was the flag bearer for the Malaysian contingent at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore where she won the silver medals in both the 10m platform and the 3m springboard events. At the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzao, Pandelela won she won the silver medal in the 10m syncro platform and a bronze medal in the 10m platform event. At New Delhi 2010, she won Malaysia's first Commonwealth Games gold medal in an aquatic sport by winning the women's 10m platform. She also won the silver medal in the 10m syncro platform event. Last month, she became Malaysia's first female flag bearer at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics where she competed in the individual 10 m platform and the 10 m platform synchronized event with her partner Leong Mun Yee. On 9 August 2012, she a bronze medal in the Women's 10m platform diving - making her the first Malaysian female athlete to win an Olympics medal, and the first Malaysian athlete to win an Olympics medal in a sport besides badminton.

Sarawak state swimming coach Hii Hieng Chiong has been quoted as saying “It all boils down to hard work, discipline and perseverance, without which no athlete can attain success in such a highly competitive international sporting event”. Hii said he had noted Pandelela’s tough training regime. “She is a very hardworking person and has been putting in six to eight hours of training each day and for the past four years, practicing all those routine diving exercises and performing the different manoeuvres. That is a huge sacrifice and her trials and tribulations have paid off and Pandelela is now reaping the fruits of dividends,” he said. Diving has been given a huge boost following Pandelela’s success and the Malaysian youth may regard it as a sport that gives them a great chance of winning medals, other than badminton which had traditionally been the only sport to deliver medals. Pandelela’s success could be the turning point for the sport. Like all great champions, Pandelela is modest about her achievements. When asked how she expect to be rewarded, all she asked was for her present coach, Yang Zhuliang, to be retained. Pandelela is only 19 now and has a long career ahead of her. Be rest assured that she will continue to make Malaysia proud in the years to come. She has shown that with perseverance and discipline – one can achieve wonders. She has demonstrated that Malaysia does not always have to depend on badmintion to get our medals. I hope those of you reading this article, are inspired by Pandelela’s dedication and accomplishments - and that you too will take up and succeed in challenges that are close to your heart.

5 Business lessons you can draw from Pandelela Rinong

Pandelela Rinong – one moment, she is relatively unknown out of the diving circles and the next moment, her name and photo is splashed in front of every major newspapers and television in Malaysia. Overnight, she became a diving queen and a celebrity. While most Malaysian were focused on Datuk Lee Chong Wei and hopes he delivers an Olympic gold medal, 5’ 3” Pandelela Rinong stole the limelight and hearts of the people. She become the first woman in Malaysia to win an Olympic medal and the first that is not in badminton. Here are some lessons you can draw from her success as an individual as well as a business person.

1. Success is not overnight To us it may seem she suddenly burst forth into the news, but success did not just come one day at an Olympic pool in the UK. No doubt that you will require years of training but most won’t realize she had smaller success before. Check out her track record here. You will notice that she has been winning regularly for the past few years in smaller sports meet. She won gold medals in the South East Asia (SEA) Games and the Commonwealth Games plus many silver and bronze medals. In business, you don’t just suddenly become successful. You don’t get to the top in 2 weeks but in small steps along the way. Each step your stepping stone to higher levels of success. Success and failures come in jerks and bumps. While Pandelela’s track record only shows her achievements, I’m sure she has her setbacks as well. Which ever level you are at, you will still encounter failure and success. I learned this form a successful business person with a multi million dollar publishing business. He said “Some days, I feel like I know everything, the very next day, I’m humbled (when things don’t go as planned)” Everyday, you do you best and that is all you can do. In sales especially, when you have closed a big deal, you feel like the top of the world. When a good customer gets pinched by a competitor, after doing everything right, you may think you are a total failure. Set a time limit of how long you will enjoy the achievement or failure. Then get back to work. Most of the time, one day is enough. “When you fall, fall forward” ~ Dr Denzel Washington, award winning actor 2. Plan for Success A lot of people will tell you to plan for failure. Even seasoned entrepreneurs always plan for the worst case scenario and that IS good planning. When you plan for the worst possible scenario, you don’t overspend or over extend yourself. However, you also need to plan for success. You may not be like Pandelela Rinong and be thrust into the limelight. Yet, you must have plans when success comes your way. Do you have plans that you can implement immediately to ride the wave? Do you have some backup plans in case a big order comes? Or for someone to help manage your existing customer while you tackle the new customer? If you are suddenly mentioned in the news or when everybody wants to invite you for interviews, can you maximize the opportunity to take your business to the next level? Many business people don’t plan for success. As a result, the rest on their success and in the process, forget to the advantage of the opportunity that came their way. You don’t need to have detailed plans but at the very least have a rough idea what are some things you can implement once the opportunity presents itself. 3. Fame To Failure Fame can lead to failure. Many sports men and women allow the fame to get into their heads because they don’t plan on continued success. They allowed fame to divert them from what they were doing to be successful in the first place. You hear of them overspending, getting into drugs or not training as they used to. Right now, you hear Pandelela Rinong’s name mentioned. It is in the news, on the internet, in the coffee shops, in discussions at home and offices, just about everywhere. That will change as surely as the sun rises. In a few days time, there will be some other news that the media will focus on. Shortly after, her name will be mentioned less and less. It may lead to feelings of abandonment. With success, you need to focus on doing the things that lead you to further success. With Pandelela, after all the media attention, she has to get back to training for the future sports meet. In business, you can savor the achievements but do not forget the crucial things that need to be carried out. Get right back on the plans you have made. Revise them if necessary but don’t slack off. 4. You need mentors Pandelela has coaches. Her swimming coach Hii Hieng Chiong narrowed all that down to hard work, discipline and perseverance, without which no athlete can attain success in such a highly competitive international sporting event. We can’t do it alone. Coaches and mentors allows you to learn faster, helps you see mistakes and corrects faster. When I did things myself, my learning and ability to apply what I learn to my business is very very slow. By having mentors, I learned things I didn’t know were crucial to what I wanted to accomplish. By applying what my mentors told me, my results changed dramatically. Even though I’ve been in business for a long time, there were a lot of things I didn’t know. 5. Success Inspires Success Before 1954, every one thought it was impossible to run a 4 minute mile. The reasoning then was the human heart could not take the stress of running that fast. Then Roger Bannister did it and in the same year, John Landy did that. Since breaking the 4 minute mile, many others managed to do that. It will be the same in Malaysia. All the while, the medal tally was in badminton. Now that Pandelela showed that it is possible in other sports as well, perhaps other Malaysian will be inspired by her to to do the same. Success inspires success because people start to believe they can do it. “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” Anatole France, Poet You must believe that it is possible for you! Now that you understand the 5 keys areas, what would be 1 that you can implement in your business? Choose 1 area and in the next few days, implement it in your life.

Pandelela is loving it

SUCCESS, as Pandelela Rinong has discovered since winning bronze in the London Olympics, doesn't only bring fame and fortune.

The diver has had to cope with some weird proposals as well, including asking for her hand in marriage on social networking sites. Some even wanted to bid for the swimsuit she wore en route to winning the 10m platform bronze but the 19-year-old Pandelela is taking it all in her stride. "I can't really walk in town without people recognising me. I've become like a celebrity," said Pandelela yesterday. "Everyone wants to meet me. Everyone wants my autograph. I am thankful to everyone who has made me a champion. "I want to attain more success for the country and I hope people will continue to support me." Such is her popularity that she has more than 4,000 friends on her Facebook account (Lulu G-Dolphin) and the number is growing. "I've been getting at least 1,000 requests daily on Facebook. However, I have decided to be more careful in accepting friend requests," added Pandelela, who hails from Kampung Jugan in Bau, which is 24 kilometres from Kuching. Pandelela has been busy attending functions since her return from London and to date, the daughter of a labourer has received more than RM500,000 in cash and bonds for her achievement. Pandelela was given a celebrity welcome when she arrived in Kuching several days ago, where she, for the first time, sat in luxury cars during the parade. "The people of Sarawak are very happy for me. I felt like a heroine when I arrived in Kuching a few days ago. Everyone is treating me well and I like the attention," she said. Fame, however, has not gotten into Pandelela's head as the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games silver medallist is eager to become a role model for youngsters. "I am relishing the added fame and attention but I am determined to stay grounded. "I believe more youngsters will want to do what I am doing and I will have to maintain my status as a champion so I have to keep working hard. My first priority is my event. And that's why I never get carried away." Pandelela, who has completed her matriculation, wants to pursue a degree in Sports Science. She has received scholarship offers to study either in Malaysia or Australia. The diver could move to Australia if national coach Yang Zhuliang decides to take up a coaching offer there after his four-year contract ends in October. Pandelela is currently on a two-week break. She will return to Kuala Lumpur after the national-level Merdeka celebrations in Kuching to resume training.

DIVING: Pandelela dives back into training

PANDELELA Rinong finally returned to training for the first time yesterday since her bronze medal feat at the London Olympics. But the Bidayuh lass turned up late for the afternoon session as she had to attend a function organised by the Education Ministry. Pandelela, 19, went through her routines under the watchful eyes of national coach Yang Zhuliang with full of zest and determination. "I am happy to be back. It has been three weeks since I last dived. My focus is to get back my fitness and prepare for the next competition," said Pandelela at the National Aquatic Centre . "I am really happy to meet Zhuliang and my teammates. Success has not gotten to my head. I am still the same determined person." On whether she will still attend functions, Pandelela said she will prioritise training first. "Yes, I have to admit I've been attending too many functions but it is time for training as I need to get back my fitness," she said. Pandelela, who won bronze in the 10m platform in London, will lead the squad for the Asian Championships in Dubai on Nov 22-25. Zhuliang admitted that he was a little worried when Pandelela did not show up for the morning session yesterday. "I was told she had a function, I thought she wouldn't turn up. It is good that she showed up as I need to prepare her for the Asian meet. "She needs to work on her fitness and routines as being absent for three weeks is a long time, "However, I am confident she will return to her best as she is a talented diver," said Zhuliang. The coach is expected to try out Traisy Vivien, in place of Leong Mun Yee, with Pandelela in the platform synchro for the Asian meet. "They will start training together once the platform at the Aquatic Centre has been repaired," he said. On additional coaches, Zhuliang revealed he has identified three China-born candidates to help him out. "The National Sports Council (NSC) will get in touch with them. They, together with retired-diver Yeoh Ken Nee will be part of my coaching set-up," Zhuliang added. Read more: DIVING: Pandelela dives back into training - Other - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/sports/other/diving-pandelela-dives-back-into-training-1.136255#ixzz26V7GchgG

5 Things You Can Learn from Pandelela Rinong’s Olympics Success

Pandela Rinong. At the onset of the London Olympics in summer 2012, little has been known and noted about this name, the Sarawak-born diver, among the Malaysian majority. She did compete in 2008 Beijing Olympics but went home empty handed. Pandelela’s name was tuned in as a competitor rather than a medal grabber. Instead, other major big names such as badminton ace Lee Chong Wei, cyclist Azizulhasni Awang, shooter Nur Suriyani Taibi and even fellow diver Bryan Nickson Lomas were the more frequently mentioned as medal hopefuls. But with a few days remaining, she surprised the nation by winning the bronze medal final at her 10m diving event. She added to the only other medal contributed from Lee Chong Wei’s silver. Pandelela became the first ever female Malaysian athlete to win a medal at the Olympics. Her bronze medal also makes diving as the only other sport that has delivered an Olympic medal other from badminton. What can we learn from Pandelela’s success? 1. Being an underdog is no issue Being a rather no-one is never an excuse to be big in your career. Odds are against us when we are pitted against the world’s best, especially in the sports dominated by other big nations such as China, Australia and the European countries. Diving has also never been the favorites for any Malaysian to be an immense success. But Pandelela proves that these are no barriers to create a history. 2. Born “out there” is not an excuse for success Pandelela hails from a remote village in Jugan, Bau, Sarawak to Bidayuh ethnicity. No one would have predicted she would go this far in her life. But Pandelela always wanted to show something. At a tender age of seven, her diving potential was spotted and she was quickly selected to dive for her state. To continue sharpen her skills, she was sent to the Bukit Jalil Sports School in Kuala Lumpur. 3. Work hard Pandelela works hard to sharpen her skills, strength, techniques and balances. According to her coach, she put up between six and eight hours of training daily. That’s hard work. Six months before the Olympics, she was made sure to develop the best physical conditioning in preparation for the massive games ahead. Other than the physical skills, Pandelela also learns hard how to control her mental and emotion. Diving live in front of audience and millions of TV viewers is no small matter. 4. Never give up Pandelela is a testimony of never-give-up attitude. In the finals of the 10m diving, she started badly in her initial jumps, trailing in 10th place out of 12 competitors after two jumps. But she regained her mental strength and composure to complete her remaining dives with impressive marks. She eventually surprised everyone by capturing the bronze medal behind China’s Chen Ruolin and Australia’s Brittany Broben. 5. Build success, one thing at a time Pandelela’s Olympics bronze medal is her most high-profile success, but she has been attaining other successes prior to this. She has in fact been showing fruitful results years before the London games. In 2009, she won third place in the women’s 10m synchronized platform with Mun Yee Leong and fifth in 10m single platform during the World Aquatics Championships. A year later in Delhi, she created history by winning Malaysia’s first aquatic gold medal in the Commonwealth Games. Indeed, Pandelela Rinong has gone from a relatively small name into one of the major sporting successes in Malaysia.

DISTRACTION: Coach expects Pandelela back for training after celebrating Olympic success

PANDELELA Rinong will likely attend her first training session in Bukit Jalil today since her bronze medal dive at last month's London Olympics. The Bidayuh lass, who was given a two-week break from training, has been busy attending functions celebrating her success but national coach Yang Zhuliang wants her back in training fast. The coach does not want her to attend too many functions from today as he feels it will eventually distract her from the sport. Pandelela, the daughter of a manual worker from Kampung Jugan in Sarawak, has received more than RM500,000 in cash and bonds for her achievement from the government and sponsors. "Pandelela must train even harder as she is now an Olympic medallist. She must stop celebrating and focus on becoming better," said Zhuliang yesterday. "Expectations will now be higher and she must be ready for it. I do not want her to get too distracted as she needs to train to achieve greatness. "But frankly, I do not know Pandelela's whereabouts ... she might be in Kuching or Sibu attending functions. I really hope she will report for training tomorrow (today)." Zhuliang wants Pandelela back in training as he wants to prepare the 19-year-old for forthcoming tournaments. He, however, is unsure whether to pick her for the Asian Championships in November. "It will depend on her performance in training. I need to look at other divers but if I do not include Pandelela it does not mean anything as I have other plans for her," Zhuliang added. Zhuliang's coaching future is also in doubt as the China-born has yet to sign a new four-year contract extension, offered by the National Sports Council. His present contract expires next month. Pandelela, said recently she will not get carried away with the attention. "All this fanfare won't last long, it is just temporary. So I don't take all this seriously and am just enjoying it," she said. Her career started seven years ago at the Kedah Malaysia Games where she took six gold medals. "My father always tells us to plan ahead in life. And since then, I have always wanted to go higher in my career," Pandelela added.

Pandelela receives RM10, 000 special incentive

PUTRAJAYA, (Bernama) - National diver Pandelela Rinong today received an offer letter from Universiti Malaya and a special incentive of RM10,000 from the Higher Education Ministry for her success in winning a bronze medal at the London Olympic Games. The offer letter and incentive were presented by Higher Education Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin at a ceremony to celebrate the achievements of athletes of Higher Education Institutions (IPTs) at Menara KPT here today. "The incentive is aimed at motivating athletes at IPTs to strive for greater successes," he told reporters after the presentation ceremony. Commenting on Pandelela's decision to further her studies locally despite getting an offer from a foreign university, Mohamad Khaled said it was a wise decision as local universities had gained recognition especially with UM being ranked 156 in the QS World University Rankings 2012/2013 recently. Pandelela when met by reporters after the ceremony said she was very happy to receive the surprise gifts. "I wish to thank the Minister and UM for giving me the incentive and offer letter. "I am confident the incentive will spur me to record greater achievements as well as studies," said the 19-year-old Sarawakian. She will start her Sports Science degree course in UM early next year and is confident of balancing her studies and her involvement in diving. At the ceremony, Mohamed Khaled also presented the ministry's excellent performance incentives to three IPTA students who won a silver medal in the women's team compound event at the World University Archery Championship held in Cordoba, Spain from July 4-7. They were Fatin Nurfatehah Mat Salleh and Norhayati Al-Madihah Hashim, both from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) as well as Fatin Nadira Hassan from Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), who received RM3,000 each. PUTRAJAYA, (Bernama) - National diver Pandelela Rinong today received an offer letter from Universiti Malaya and a special incentive of RM10,000 from the Higher Education Ministry for her success in winning a bronze medal at the London Olympic Games. The offer letter and incentive were presented by Higher Education Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin at a ceremony to celebrate the achievements of athletes of Higher Education Institutions (IPTs) at Menara KPT here today. "The incentive is aimed at motivating athletes at IPTs to strive for greater successes," he told reporters after the presentation ceremony. Commenting on Pandelela's decision to further her studies locally despite getting an offer from a foreign university, Mohamad Khaled said it was a wise decision as local universities had gained recognition especially with UM being ranked 156 in the QS World University Rankings 2012/2013 recently. Pandelela when met by reporters after the ceremony said she was very happy to receive the surprise gifts. "I wish to thank the Minister and UM for giving me the incentive and offer letter. "I am confident the incentive will spur me to record greater achievements as well as studies," said the 19-year-old Sarawakian. She will start her Sports Science degree course in UM early next year and is confident of balancing her studies and her involvement in diving. At the ceremony, Mohamed Khaled also presented the ministry's excellent performance incentives to three IPTA students who won a silver medal in the women's team compound event at the World University Archery Championship held in Cordoba, Spain from July 4-7. They were Fatin Nurfatehah Mat Salleh and Norhayati Al-Madihah Hashim, both from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) as well as Fatin Nadira Hassan from Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), who received RM3,000 each.

The Successful of Pandelela Rinong

Sibu:The success story of Sarawak diving sensation Pandelela Rinong in securing the 2012 London Olympics Women 10M Platform bronze continues to draw praises and words of accolades and encouragement from the masses, especially those in the sporting fraternity. State swimming coach Hii Hieng Chiong narrowed all that down to hard work, discipline and perseverance, without which no athlete can attain success in such a highly competitive international sporting event. “That is the nature of the sport. As long as an athlete remains dedicated and refuses to throw in the towel, victory is always within reach,” he added. Pandelela, the flag-bearer of the Malaysian contingents in the 2012 London Olympics had inked her name in the record books as the first Malaysian and Sarawakian to win an Olympic medal. She beat all odds to bring home the country second medal, after the silver bagged by shuttler Datuk Lee Chong Wei. Pandelela had been trailing after three rounds but two superb follow-up dives allowed her to finish the five-dive events with a total score of 359.20, third best behind Chinese diver Chen Ruoling 422.30 and Australian Britanny Broben 366.50. Hii believed Pandelela’s success would eventually inspire a generation of youth to take up diving as a competitive event. “The diving event was given a huge boost following Pandelela’s success and the Malaysian youth may regard it as a sport that gives them a great chance of winning medals, other than badminton which had traditionally been the only sport to deliver medals. As such, Pandelela’s success could be the turning point for the sport,” Hii added. Nevertheless, Hii said Pandelela’s victory was not totally unexpected as she had been producing splendid results in the same event for the past years. At the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games, she won the gold medal in the Women 10m Platform. Last year, she also created headlines when she collected a silver in the World Series held in Moscow that was participated by most of the top divers. Hii, Sarawak’s longest serving swimming coach for over 40 years, said Pandelela was fortunate to have a very professional Chinese coach to guide and groom her from a relative unknown into a world renowned diver these days. When he was attached to the Bukit Jalil Sports School as a coach for the national back-up squad in Kuala Lumpur from 2009 to 2010, Hii said he had noticed Pandelela undergoing tough training regime. “She is a very hardworking person and has been pumping in six to eight hours of training each day and for the past four years, practicing all those routine diving exercises and performing the different manoeuvres. That is a huge sacrifice and her trials and tribulations have paid off and Pandelela is now reaping the fruits of dividends,” he said. Hii said Pandelela’s background from the Bidayuh ethnicity had also contributed in part to her success story. “Her family is not that well off and because of that, Pandelela is willing to sacrifice her time to indulge in training instead of idling her time away.”