Ministry’s full support for Pandelela
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.”
by Jeremy Veno. Posted on October 13, 2010, Wednesday
A diving star is born
by Simon Ingka Crown and Anasathia Jenis. Posted on October 13, 2010, Wednesday
KUCHING: She always dreams that one day she will buy us a house and a car if she wins medals and money. It doesn’t matter to me, I just want her come home safe. To the world, she is a superstar, to us, she is a lovely child.
She is a small girl with a big heart. I’m very proud of her.
These are the words of Pamg Joheng, father of newly-crowned Commonwealth Games women’s 10m platform diving champion, Pandelela Rinong.
Pamg Joheng almost burst into tears but managed to keep his composure after her talented daughter made the final and golden plunge from the high board at the Dr SP Mukherjee Stadium on Monday night to win the country’s first-ever diving gold medal in New Delhi.
“Our daughter has made the whole family and relatives proud. She collected two silver medals in Singapore in the Youth Olympic Games. Now, she won the gold in the Commonwealth Games.”
“I’m speechless. I just want to enjoy this moment,” Joheng said yesterday.
The 43-year-old, a general worker at a construction company in Sejingkat, said it had been Pandelela’s dream to be a diver ever since she was in primary one.
“Her talent in diving was spotted by a China coach when she was seven. There was a trial to select divers to be groomed at the diving academy and soon the coach became her personal trainer.”
Joheng pointed out that her daughter trained almost everyday under the China coach.
The training centre, previously at Stampark swimming pool (now Water Park), was where Pandelela and the rest of the young divers had their training.
“Initially, she went for training three times a week. After a while, she managed to juggle her time between training and studies.
“My wife and I have seen her go through tough training a few times. Sometimes, we feel she was so timid and had asked her to quit because we were afraid she could not stand the pressure. But she told us she is a strong lady and this led us to believe in what she is doing. She is right,” Joheng said.
Not only Pandelela, but her brother Pardikar Indoma Pang, 18, who is the eldest of the four siblings in the family, had represented Sarawak in previous Sukma.
On how he brought up his children, Joheng said: “There is no special way. All of them are very obedient. They spend most of their time with us. Sometimes, we do ask them to go out and enjoy themselves but mostly, they choose to stay at home when there is no training.”
Even though Joheng and his wife Hartini Lamin, 41, do not monitor their children 24 hours a day, they are cautious about their choice of friends.
“Both of us worry they might choose a wrong bunch of friends who might influence them to do bad things,” Joheng said.
Pandelela is the second child. Apart from Pardikar Indoma, the other two siblings are Pici Parnia Pamg, 12, and Parcelia Renyelia, 10. Pici was also chosen to train in diving but she had to forgo her dreams to be like her sister because of hydrophobia.
At the Delhi Games, Pandelela defeated Australian Melissa Wu, the Beijing Olympics silver medallist, with a total point of 371.05 to take the gold medal. Wu collected 369.50 points. The bronze went to another Aussie, Alexandra Croak with 355.40 points.
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