KUCHING – National diving queen Pandelela Rinong has been conferred a datukship today and is among 17 individuals awarded the Panglima Setia Bintang Sarawak (PSBS) honour in conjunction with the 85th birthday of the Sarawak Governor Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud.
“Little things, little steps, made changes even a little,” Pandelela tweeted this morning.
The 2016 Rio Olympics silver medallist was among 1,326 title recipients in Sarawak.
At the same time, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin tweeted: “Apt and fitting that on Hari Sukan Negara this year, our most decorated female Olympian is finally knighted by her home state of Sarawak. Congratulations Datuk Pandelela.”
Pandelela's success story started when she became the first Malaysian diver to win the bronze medal in the 10m individual platform event at the 2012 London Olympics.
In 2016, the 28-year-old Sarawakian finished second with partner Choong Jun Heong in the synchronised 10m platform, becoming the first Malaysian women duo to win silver at the Olympics.
Pandelela is also the current world champion for the 10m individual platform event, which she won in May at the Tokyo Aquatics centre.
However, the Tokyo Olympics did not go well for her as she finished outside the top 10 in the final of the individual event.
Pandelela is still on course for her fourth Olympic outing in Paris in 2024. – The Vibes, October 9, 2021
