Pandelela Rinong (File photo)
KUCHING: The state is urged to support national diving queen Pandelela Rinong with more fund to help her development, instead of conferring a Datukship to honour her recent silver medal feat at the Rio Olympics.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing said the government must play a more important role to aid Pandelela in her training, including supporting her participation in international meets.
The Minister of Infrastructure Development and Transportation felt that more funds should be made available to accord Pandelela with the best training facilities, coaches, as well as supporting her participation in international meets. He suggested that the government should also support the national diver in other future endeavours including the pursuit of education until the highest level.
In the early hours on Wednesday, Pandelela and her diving partner Cheong Jun Hoong won silver in the 10m synchronised diving in Brazil, a first for the Malaysian contingent in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
The accomplishment has led to several local leaders calling for Pandelela to be bestowed the Datukship for her feat.
“Pandelela and Jun Hoong have won silver! Many have suggest for a Datukship but I say no. Now is not the time to bestow Pandelela with a Datukship.
“The honour should be for years later. We must give them fund for further training, opportunities to take part in international competitions and support their studies if they are interested to pursue further education,” Masing said of his view about talks of bestowing Pandelela with a Datukship.
Pandelela, who hails from Kpg Jugan in Bau, has been the pride of the Bidayuh community and is seen as a role model since she won the bronze medal at the London Olympics four years ago. With that win, she was accorded the JBK (Johan Bintang Kenyalang) by the state government.
On Thursday, Bung Bratak Heritage chairman and Kota Samarahan Walikota Datuk Peter Minos called on the government to bestow on her the Datukship as her reward.
The silver medal feat by Pandelela and Cheong is considered historic in many ways, because it is the first silver for Malaysia in any Olympics outside badminton.
It is also the first silver for the country’s women athletes. To add icing on the cake, the duo won silver on Aug 9 (Brazil local time), the very same date that Pandelela won her bronze in 2012.
The Malaysian pair collected 344.34 points to finish behind China’s Chen Ruolin and Liu Huixia after the gold medalist amassed a total of 354.00 points. In third was Canada’s Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion with 336.18 points.
Pandelela and Cheong will share the RM300,000 cash incentive and RM3,000 monthly pension under the National Sports Council incentive scheme. Under the scheme, a gold medal winner gets RM1 million and a monthly pension of RM5,000; and a bronze winner will pocket RM100,000 and a RM2,000 pension.
The 23-year-old Pandelela became the first Malaysian woman to win an Olympic medal when she clinched third place in the 10m platform individual event four years ago.