It’s okay, there’s always next time

BY AISYAH AZZAHRA SUHIRI, PETRONELLA LANGITA FELIX, & RACHEL MINA

KUCHING: Words of encouragement and applause have poured in for Malaysian diving queen, Pandelela Rinong Pamg, despite finishing 12th in the women’s 10-metre platform final in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, today.

Pandelela secured the last place amongst the 12 finalists at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre accumulating 245.85 points from five dives, putting an end to her hopes of securing a medal for Malaysia.

The 28-year-old scored 18.00 points in her first dive which led to poor cumulative points despite recovering with 71.05, 60.80, 52.80 and 43.20 points in the four consecutive dives.

Despite finishing last, Malaysians are proud of her and applaud her for the efforts she had made to represent the country in diving at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

MELISSA NATASHA MASIR, 23

“Congratulations, Pandelela Rinong! Getting to this level is already a big achievement. You have won our hearts and we Malaysians are proud of you!”

FAIZURRAFIQ SAIFULYAZAN, 35

“Pandelela might not have done well this time, but she can always try again in the future. Thank you for taking part in the Tokyo Olympics as a representative of Malaysia and we will all be anticipating her future championships.”

JAMILAH APANDI, 62

“Just because she didn’t win a medal doesn’t mean her performance is declining. We appreciate her efforts in making us proud. Thank you, Pandelela.”

DARYL NG KWANG TECK, 22

“First of all, congratulations to Pandelela. You’ve done your best in the Olympic 2020 and have served the country well over the years. Try harder for the next Olympic Paris 2024, if you’re participating. Thank you so much. Love you.”

ADI SHAHIRAN AZMAN, 24

“Securing a spot in the finals is enough to make us Malaysians proud, and rest assured that we will always be there to support her. Don’t give up; try once again in the next tournament.”