Hurrah For Pandelela From Her Alma Mater

KUCHING: It was a moment of pride and joy for students and teachers of SMK Tabuan Jaya Sports School when Pandelela Rinong Pamg bagged the bronze medal in the Olympics women's individual 10m platform event.

Deep in their hearts, they knew the former student could deliver a medal and make the nation proud.

Principal Hassan Wa'Gani said Pandelela's achievement was an inspiration to many athletes in the state.

Memorable day: Hassan (left), teachers and students of SMK Tabuan Jaya Sports School in Kuching jubilating over Pandelela’s success.

He said the school would invite Pandelela to share her experiences of the London Games.

“We're all very proud of her. I have always reminded students that their success will always be the pride and joy of the school, state and country,” he said.

Pandelela created history by winning Malaysia's first-ever Olympics medal in a sport other than badminton. She is also the first Sarawakian to win an Olympic medal.

Hassan said Pandelela studied in Form One and Two at the school before leaving for Bukit Jalil Sports School in 2006.

“I taught her visual arts. She was a good, quiet and disciplined student,” he recalled.

He said another national diver Bryan Nickson Lomas also studied in the school before being transferred to Bukit Jalil, adding that SMK Tabuan Jaya acted as a feeder school of athletes for the country.

He hoped the Government would pay more attention to rural schools' needs in improving sports development.

Diver’s Dad Beams With Pride

PETALING JAYA: An overjoyed Pamg Joheng, who works as a contract labourer, stayed at his home in Taman Samarex, Kota Samarahan in Kuching yesterday.

It was to honour a promise made to his daughter, national diver Pandelela Rinong.

Our darling: Pamg and his daughter Pici Parnia, 14, watching Pandelela being interviewed at the London Games on television. – ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE / The Star

He had pledged not to go outside in the event she wins an Olympic medal in London.

Pandelela then made history by becoming the first Malaysian to clinch a bronze in women's 10m platform individual final in the early hours of Friday (Malaysian time).

It was a magnificent medal, considering the pressure the 19-year-old was under after a poor first dive left her in 10th place in the 12-diver field.

Pamg, 46, was proud of his 19-year old daugther, the eldest in a family of four. , had contributed to Malaysia's sporting history by being the non-badminton player to win an Olympic medal.

“I promised her before the Olympics that I would not go to work the next day if she won a medal. She wanted me to rest at home and share her glory.

“Watching television this morning, at first I thought she had no chance. But surprisingly, other divers also did not do well and I am proud that she fought her way back.

“She has always had a mind of her own and did not let the pressure get to her. The whole Bidayuh community is also proud of what she has achieved,” said Pamg, who added that he would have loved to go to London to watch her compete but had to work to support the family.

His wife Hartini Anak Lamim, 44, had gone to London to be with Pandelela - a trip made possible by Dutch Lady Malaysia, which sponsored her flight and stay there.

“Pandelela has helped the family from the incentives she earned over the past two years. I'm glad to see her rewarded. She has been training very hard and has not returned to stay with us all this year.

“There was once when she came to attend a function but flew back to KL immediately. But I understand as she needs to prepare for competitions,” he added.

Pandelela is expected to return home to a big reception by the Sarawak government and her community next week.

On what awaits Pandelela when she gets home, Pamg said she was a simple person.

”She does not ask for anything but usually asks her mother to cook her favourite dish - fried sambal petai with prawns.”

There are rumours that she would be rewarded with a Datukship by the state government.

Meanwhile in SEPANG Hartini said she could not hold back her tears when her daughter received the bronze medal.

“I am so proud of her. She injured her back during a training session before leaving for London, yet she was so determined to give her best,” she said at the at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport upon returning from London last night.

Hartini said Pandelela, who began training since she was eight, was a very disciplined and motivated girl, who never gave up on her dreams.

“I knew she was in pain, but she did not want to give up,

“I just kept praying very hard for her to win,” she said, adding that the family's humble background had never been a obstacle for Pandelela.

XV SUKMA 2012

Olympic-bound Diver Ken Nee Has Started Planning For His Retirement

THERE are few opportunities for leisurely pursuits with the Olympics just around the corner but diver Yeoh Ken Nee is likely to be seen at a bookshop when he is not practising at the gym or plunging off the board.

But you won’t find him flipping through fancy car magazines or comics, though. He is more interested in business related and self-improvement books.

The 28-year-old finds it an enriching experience digesting the information contained in these kinds of books.

“I also like to read magazines on properties and stock options ... things like that,” said Ken Nee, the oldest of three siblings.

“It is not boring you know. I find it interesting and stimulating as it teaches us lessons to apply in real life.

“My parents have been property consultants for a long time and their influence has rubbed off on me.

“I was taught the value of properties from young.”

Ken Nee has also attended a few seminars on self-improvement in the past.

“I was inspired by former top swimmer Alex Lim (Keng Liat) a few years back to attend one of these seminars,” said Ken Nee, who lives with his family in Cheras.

“He said that the seminars showed him what one can do to improve one’s quality of life.

“He applied it to his life and invested in properties with the money he received under the incentive scheme so that he would have something to fall back on when he retires from swimming.

“Now he is coaching but he also has properties of his own.

“Many athletes do not know what they are going to do once they retire and I hope I won’t be caught in that situation.”

But Ken Nee, who drives an orange-coloured MyVi, also knows how to enjoy life. One of his favourite past times is watching movies with his friends.

“I’ll watch any movie as long as it is entertaining. Training takes up a lot of our time and there isn’t much spare time left for ourselves,” he said.

“Sunday is the only time we have to catch up on what’s happening outside of our sport.”

While many of his team-mates have called it a day, Ken Nee continues to slog on simply because of his passion for diving.

Ken Nee is one of only two divers left from the pioneer group of trainees first identified and trained for the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.

The National Sports Council (NSC) started the Jaya ’98 diving project in 1994, when Malaysia got the Commonwealth Games host job.

Ken Nee bagged his first diving gold medal for Malaysia at the 1999 SEA Games in Brunei and has since gone on to achieve a couple of historic firsts.

He was the first medal winner for Malaysia at the Commonwealth and Asian Games as well as one of the first Olympians for diving.

London will only be his second Olympic outing. He was among the four divers who qualified for their first Olympics in Sydney in 2000. He then took a two-year break to concentrate on his studies and missed out on Athens four years later.

Ken Nee again missed out when he failed to make the cut for the last Olympics in Beijing.

“This will be my last Olympics as there are younger divers coming up.

“I am keen to take up a coaching role but if that doesn’t work out, I’ll have to look at other options. I will decide after the London Games,” said Ken Nee, who will compete in the men’s 3m springboard at the Olympics.

Ken Nee admits that he is not a medal hope as Malaysia have other divers – like Pandelela Rinong, Bryan Nickson Lomas and Huang Qiang – with realistic chances of finishing on the podium for the first time in Olympic history.

“We have three chances to fight for a medal as we have qualified for three out of the four synchro disciplines where the finals are held straight away,” said Ken Nee.

“I am just going for the individual springboard, where I hope to sign off by reaching the semi-finals this time.

“We only started diving at the Olympics in Sydney and none of us have made it past the preliminary rounds of the individual competition until now.”

Malaysia have eight divers heading for London, the biggest squad going to the Olympics this time.

The divers have been training in China for the last two months and will only return home for two days this weekend to pick up their Olympic accreditations before heading for London.

DIVING: Bad Times Only Motivate Jun Hoong

FIGHTER: Defeat is not a word she understands

 IT was the kind of injury that ends careers. That ends dreams.

For Cheong Jun Hoong, it was only one more obstacle to overcome in her quest to become a successful national diver.
It was only six years ago that Jun Hoong was in tears while watching her teammates in action on TV at the Doha Asian Games.

1st SEA Swimming Championship 2012 Result

SEASF 2012 (Diving Day 3) - Interview (Chew Yi Wei)