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Pandelela and Mun Yee push sport into Olympic programme


By LIM TEIK HUAT

KUALA LUMPUR: Thanks to the historic exploits of women divers Pandelela Rinong and Leong Mun Yee at the recent World Championships in Rome, diving has been included in the Road to London Olympic programme.

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek announced the inclusion of diving after the National Sports Council’s (NSC) management board meeting yesterday.

Well rewarded: Pandelela Rinong (left) and Leong Mun Yee listening to Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek after receiving their mock cheques yesterday. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN / The Star.

Diving will join badminton, archery and track cycling under the programme. These sports are seen as medal prospects at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Shabery also handed a special incentive of RM10,000 each to Pandelela and Mun Yee yesterday for their efforts in securing Malaysia’s first-ever World Championships medal in aquatics.

Pandelela-Mun Yee clinched a bronze medal in the 10m platform synchronised final in Rome.

The achievement stunned the world diving fraternity as it was the duo’s first competition together.

Malaysia are thus perched proudly in the medal standings in the ongoing world meet, which has attracted nearly 200 nations.

Shabery hoped that other national athletes would be inspired by the duo to achieve excellence.

“They are the latest athletes who have shown us that it is possible for us to contend for medals in Olympic sports,” he said.

“This is an extraordinary achievement and the board have agreed to include diving in the Road to London programme.

“We hope the divers would continue to train harder and focus towards improving themselves for the next Olympics.”

In the world meet, Pandelela also achieved the best-ever finish by a Malaysian diver in the individual discipline after finishing fifth in the 10m platform final.

The board also decided that the Malaysian contingent for the Laos SEA Games in December would have a mix of seniors and juniors, with the intention of providing international exposure.

“We do not expect to win many gold medals this time because certain sports, which we are strong in like gymnastics, bowling and squash, are not contested,” Shabery said.

“Altogether, we have lost 26 gold medals even before setting foot there. But we are still optimistic of securing about 30 to 35 gold medals.”

For the record, Malaysia finished second behind hosts Thailand in the overall medal standings in Korat with a haul of 68-52-96.

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