KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 — Pandelela Rinong Pamg will be rested from participating in the Diving World Series to allow the national diving queen to focus on the 2019 World Aquatics Championships which is the qualifying platform for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (ASUM) honorary secretary, Mae Chen today confirmed that Pandelela will miss the Diving World Series competition in Kazan, Russia this weekend and in London from May 17 to 19.
She said the decision was made to ensure Pandelela was free of any injuries before competing in the World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea on July 12 to 28.
“Pandelela is currently suffering a back injury, but it’s not too serious. That is why she can’t compete at the Diving World Series. We decided that it is a wise move for her to take a break to recover.
“What’s more important is that she could compete in the World Championships compared to the Diving World Series competition. We do not want to aggravate it and at the same time the National Sports Institute (NSI) is monitoring Pandelela’s condition,” said Mae Chen, when met after attending the Working Committee Meeting for Diving chaired by National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail.
In the same development, Mae Chen admitted that the World Championships was the national diving squad’s main focus over the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines, as the competition in South Korea offered the qualifying points for the Olympics.
“We are just thinking of the World Championships. If the divers can do well in the tournament, I think there should be no problem for them to excel at the SEA Games.
“I hope some divers will qualify for the Olympics at the World Championships, otherwise we have to try in other tournaments such as the Asian Cup Diving Championships in September and the World Cup in Mexico next year,” she said.
Beside Pandelela, the diving squad to the World Championships comprises Leong Mun Yee, Wendy Ng, Nur Dhabitah Sabri, Jellson Jabillin, Chew Yiwei, Muhammad Syafiq Puteh, Hanis Nazirul Jaya Surya and Ooi Tze Liang.
Mae Chen said the national divers will undergo training in Negri Sembilan at the end of this month before leaving for Wuhan, China in June for another training stint. — Bernama
