PM Najib Congratulates Pandelela For Becoming First M'sian Athlete To Qualify For Rio Olympics

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Najib Razak congratulated national diver, Pandelela Rinong, for winning a bronze medal in the Women’s 10m Platform at the FINA World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, Russia and qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics in Brazil. By qualifying for the final Thursday, Pandelela, 22, from east Malaysian state of Sarawak, one of the two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo, had qualified for her third Olympics. "Congratulations to @Pandelela_R for winning a bronze medal at the FINA World Aquatics Championships and becoming the first Malaysian athlete to qualify for the 2016 Olympics," Najib said in his Twitter account Friday. Pandelela clinched the bronze medal in her favourite event, the women's 10m Platform early Friday morning. The Sarawakian displayed a consistent performance in four of her five dives in the competition that was dominated by China. For the record, Pandelela had won two bronze medals at world championships when partnering Leong Mun Yee in the 10m Platform Synchronised diving in Rome, Italy (2009) and Barcelona, Spain (2013). -- BERNAMA