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Pandelela the best bet for a medal in Youth Olympics

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will have representation in seven sports in the inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore from Aug 14-26.

But the only athletes with realistic chances to challenge for medals are diver Pandelela Rinong and the badminton duo of Loh Wei Sheng and Sonia Cheah.

There are 26 sports in the programme and they involve athletes between the ages of 14 and 18-years-old.
Malaysians have seven boys and six girls who have qualified for aquatics (swimming and diving), badminton, athletics, rhythmic gymnastics, weightlifting and sailing.

Pandelela: Has proven herself on the world stage.
 
Malaysia have maximum representation in diving with 2008 Beijing Olympian and Laos SEA Games double gold medallist Pandelela and Ooi Tze Liang, who won two gold medals for Penang at the recent Sukma (Malaysia Games), in the fray.

Swimming makes up the aquatics cast with Sukma gold medallists Kevin Lim and Lai Wei Li in the competitions.

High jumper S. Navinraj, 110m hurdler Mohd Ajmal Mat Hassan and pole vaulter Fahmi Zam Zam are the three qualifiers for athletics.

Asian junior runner-up Wei Sheng and Uber Cupper Sonia Cheah will challenge for honours in badminton while sailing has two Malaysian in Mohd Amirul Syafiq and Khairunnisa Affendy.
Completing the Malaysian contingent are girls’ 58kg weightlifter Fatin Atikah and rhythmic gymnast Lee Wan Nin.

Chef-de-mission and former top swimmer Lim Keng Liat said that to bring home one medal of any colour would be a reasonable target for the contingent to meet in Singapore.

“It is a youth-level competition and we are not sure of the strength of the other competing countries,” he said.
“But I believe Pandelela should have the best chance to win a medal as she earned her ticket to the Games by winning a qualifying competition in Mexico.

“She has proven herself on the world stage but much will depend on whether her coach wants her to peak at the in Singapore. Pandelela is also down to compete in the Commonwealth Games (October) and Asian Games (November).

“The badminton players also stand a chance in competition for only the boys’ and girls’ singles.”
The 17-year-old Pandelela partnered Leong Mun Yee to claim a historic bronze medal for Malaysia at the world championships in Rome last year from the women’s synchronised 10m platform event.

However, only the 3m springboard and 10m platform individual disciplines will be contested in Youth Olympics.

There is still big hope for Pandelela to rise to the occasion as she finished an impressive fifth in the 10m platform event at the world championships.


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