KUCHING: Minister for Youth, Sport and Entrepreneur Development, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah confirmed that the decision to remove national divers Datuk Pandelela Rinong and Nur Dhabitah Sabri from the Road To Gold (RTG) Programme falls within the jurisdiction of the federal Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS).
He explained that RTG, a programme implemented by KBS, necessitates follow-up actions when athletes fail to meet performance expectations, and the committee involved determines the subsequent course of action.
Despite their exclusion, he believed that this does not signify the end of opportunities for Pandelela and Nur Dhabitah.
“Pandelela and Nur Dhabitah are still among the best divers in the country at the moment, and I believe that both of them can continue to contribute medals for the national contingent at other tournaments in the future,” he said during a press conference on the Sarawak Bumiputera Amateur Golf Association (PGABS) Interstate Junior Golf Tournament at Baitulmakmur Building II on Friday (March 1).
While acknowledging Pandelela’s age of 31, Abdul Karim expressed confidence in her and Nur Dhabitah’s ability to compete and secure podium positions in events such as the SEA Games and Asian Games.
“However, there is still a need for relevant bodies to train younger athletes to replace them in the future.
“If possible, don’t rely too much on the strength of two or three athletes; it will create difficulties in the long run.”
He underscored the need for an early start in honing young champions or talented athletes, especially with athletes like Pandelela and others approaching the end of their careers.
He called on the National Sports Council (MSN) to be more proactive in ensuring a continuous pool of athletes capable of bringing medals to the country.
Pandelela and Nur Dhabitah were dropped from the RTG list due to their performance falling below expectations at the World Aquatic Championships in Doha, resulting in the failure to secure slots for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
