PANDELELA Rinong Pamg. Remember the name.
It’s special because the 17-year-old lass who answers to that name has broken new ground for Malaysian sports. No athlete in the country has ever won a gold medal in diving at the Commonwealth Games since its inception in 1930.
Pandelela has achieved the breakthrough and she did it at the XIX Games in New Delhi with a superb effort in the final dive to win the 10m platform event. With that stunning triumph at the Dr SP Mukherjee Stadium, she has written a new chapter in international diving for Malaysia.
Pandelela finished ahead of two world-ranked Aussies – Melissa Wu and Alexandra Croak — and her famous victory meant the National Anthem has been heard for the first time at an international aquatics arena. Surely a proud moment for the whole nation.
The day before, she had won the silver medal in the synchronised event with Leong Mun Yee. Her dual medal-winning feats came on the heels of another impressive showing at the Youth Olympics in Singapore in August. There, she also won a silver medal in the 10m platform behind Asian Youth Games champion, Liu Jaio of China.
Pandelela is even more special to us because she is from Sarawak. Over the years, the state has produced some fine athletes but a gold medal at such a high level as the Commonwealth Games is unprecedented in Sarawak sports until Pandelela came along.
She has scaled the heights to make the state proud and hopefully, her accomplishment will inspire other young state talents to emulate her, if not in diving, then in other disciplines.
Pandelela has shown that with hard work, success in sports, as in any other endeavours, is possible. She began her long road to diving glory at the young age of seven. The way up was no picnic at the pool — she had to practise seven days a week.
Her specialty is no child’s play. Indeed, diving requires precision skills on top of guts even at the ordinary level — what more to say at the international level where the competition is very keen?
There is a clear message attached to Pandelela’s golden dive – that even a small Bau town girl like her can do big things with the right approach to grassroots development. And interestingly enough, diving – a pauper among Sarawak sports in terms of training facilities – has been able to produce a world-class champion for the state whereas other luxuriously equipped sports are still struggling (and failing) to drop the also-ran tags.
It also warms the cockles of the heart to note that amid all the media attention after her victory, Pandelela had not forgotten to thank not only her coach but more importantly, also her family for their unstinting support.
There will be no break for her after the Commonwealth Games as she will have to return to Beijing to prepare for the Asian Games in Guangzhou next month. It is a quite right to pull her out of the three-metre springboard in New Delhi since she was not supposed to take part in the event in the first place. Why risk unnecessary injuries with the Asian Games just round the corner?
The Social Development and Urbanisation Ministry has assured it will continue to support Pandelela.
“Because she is our pride, the ministry will not just sit and watch. We will back her all the way,” the Minister Dato Sri William Mawan has promised.
The rewards for Pandelela should befit the distinction of her achievement. As a Sarawak sports champion in the 1970’s observed light-heartedly: “Certainly a whole lot more than health drinks and cash vouchers for buying sports pants like what we got during our time.”
It has taken Pandelela a decade (from seven to 17 years old) to reach her present level. A step at a time is the way to reach a destination — a stone at a time and the castle is built.
But she isn’t at her peak yet. With more specialised training and an undiminished desire to improve further, this plucky Bidayuh lass still has somewhere to go. We wish her all the best in her endeavour.