Datuk Pandelela Rinong of Malaysia in action during the women’s 10m platform preliminary round at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, Tokyo, August 4, 2021. – Reuters pic
SEPANG, May 5 — Despite, having built a good understanding with her diving partner, Nur Dhabitah Sabri, diving queen Datuk Pandelela Rinong is not taking the challenges in the women’s synchronised diving 10-metre platform event in the Hanoi SEA Games in Vietnam lightly.
She said to ensure they could put their best performance in the event, their respective diving technics should be further polished
“(Understanding), I feel is ok as we have been training together but we just hope everything goes well with the preparation so that during competition we can do well.
“For the time being synchronisation and chemistry is almost perfect but we have our own individual techniques so we have to polish some more,” she told Bernama when met at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2) here today.
Diving events are scheduled to be held from May 8 to 11 at the My Dinh Aquatic Centre.
Meanwhile, Nur Dhabitah when asked to comment on their partnership with Pandelela said it was not something new.
“I have synchronised with her (Pandelela) before and we have even won several championships…so this is not the first time.
“It’s just that for SEA Games, it will be the first time but I’m sure if communication is okay, teamwork is okay, everything will be okay,” she said.
Earlier, the Pandelela and Nur Dhabitah combination had won a bronze medal in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland and the silver medal in the Fourth FINA World Diving Series in Windsor, Canada in 2017.
Meanwhile in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian chef de mission (CDM) to Hanoi SEA Games, Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad said the issue of testing the diving venue just two days before the competition begins is not an excuse for divers not to win medals.
“Perhaps it is due to Covid-19 concerns, that the measure was taken,” he said after Closing the Last Assembly of the Malaysian Contingent virtually at the National Sports Council here today.
“I don’t see any effect and I think our divers are matured enough to get used to the pool and only the atmosphere and the pressure is there I think there is no problem for diving,” he said.
The 31st SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam is scheduled from May 12 to 23. — Bernama