By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 30: Sarawak’s diving queen and two-time Olympic medallist Dato Pandelela Rinong Pamg has withdrawn from the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore due to a persistent left shoulder injury.
“With a heavy heart but a clear mind, I’ve made the difficult decision to withdraw from today’s Women’s 10m Platform Individual Preliminary event, following my earlier withdrawal from the 10m Platform Synchronised event two days ago,” Pandelela said in a heartfelt statement posted on her social media today.
The 32-year-old said her decision was made after careful evaluation of her condition, stressing that her shoulder had not recovered enough for her to compete safely and deliver her best performance.
According to New Straits Times, Pandelela and her partner Lee Yiat Qing were forced to exit the women’s 10m platform synchronised preliminary round on Monday (July 28) after completing just two dives.
In the news report, Malaysia aquatics diving technical director Yeoh Ken Nee said the injury occurred during Pandelela’s warm-up session ahead of the event.
Despite the setback, the national diving icon expressed gratitude for the support received and pledged to focus on healing.
“I’m truly grateful for all the kind messages and concern for my wellbeing. I promise to take better care of my body as I focus on healing and preparing for the next opportunity to represent Malaysia,” she said.
In the meantime, Pandelela is staying in Singapore to support the national diving squad, urging fans to keep cheering for the team.
“I’ll continue to cheer on my fellow teammates here in Singapore. Please join me in sending them your support, luck, and prayers as they continue to compete for Malaysia,” she added. — DayakDaily
