KUCHING − “We want to be like Pandelela Rinong.” Those are the dreams of two siblings, Dayang Nursharzyra Awang Nasaruddin, 14, and her brother, Awang Sharzan Nasin, 16 − both Sarawak youth divers, who are doing their best to follow in the footsteps of their idol − national dive queen, Datuk Pandelela Rinong Pamg.
Having been exposed to diving since the age of six, Dayang said she fell in love with the sport after seeing her brother train daily.
“I follow the developments of national divers closely on social media, especially when she (Pandelela) competes, and from there I learn and try to practise, and improve my diving techniques during training as well as being guided by our coaches,” she told Bernama recently.
Although she admits that her physical and mental health have been affected by several injuries sustained during training, the Form Two student of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Sungai Maong viewed it as a challenge to overcome, spurring her on to achieve success at a higher level.
Meanwhile, Awang said the firm support from various parties, including their parents and friends, is what motivates them most to continue to strive for excellence in diving.
“Besides mom and dad, our coaches always provide us with guidance. They remind my sister and I and other divers to continue and never give up,” he added.
The siblings, who are from Kuching, bagged gold medals for Sarawak – in the men’s 1 m springboard individual event and in the women’s 3 m springboard individual event – at the 2019 Perak Open Diving Championship and have set their sights on winning gold medals at the upcoming Malaysia Games (Sukma).
Meanwhile, Sarawak diving team coach Shi Yang said besides training at least five hours daily for six days a week, the selection process of athletes to represent the state was conducted carefully with each athlete having to exceed the standards set.
“The beginners, they usually start from seven years old… To make the selection, we go to schools to find potential divers before they undergo two to three years of training,” he told Bernama recently.
If the athlete shows potential and talent for diving, they would then be selected to undergo further training for six years before joining the Elite programme − which is a requirement − before participating in Sukma.
When met during a training session at the Pandelela Rinong Aquatic Centre, Sarawak Sports Corporation’s youth and sports officer Wesley Inyau Wella said youth athletes were divided into three programmes: beginner, excellent and elite.
To assess their performance in each programme, the corporation would hold internal contests to determine whether the athletes could transition to the next programme.
Former Sarawak diver Wesley also said that the spirit and courage shown by these youth divers were key to Sarawak’s success in nurturing world-class divers.
“The success of these youths are borne from their passion. Now, we have a star like Datuk Pandalela Rinong − from her these youths get inspired by seeing her successes and aspire to be like her. The advantage of young athletes in Sarawak is that they have courage,” he added.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the state government has established a Centre of High Performance and was in the process of developing a Sarawak Sports Village to ensure continuous development of sports in the state.
“From these facilities, we can fine-tune our athletes, who display good performance, so that they can improve further − besides those that we send to the Bukit Jalil sports school and the centre of high performance at the federal level.
“With this centre, we can hone the skills of young divers so that they will shine,” he added. – Bernama, November 23, 2021
