Malaysian diver Pandelela Rinong will not be participating in the Asian Diving Cup which gets underway this Friday at the National Aquatic Centre, Bukit Jalil.
National diving coach, Yang Zhuliang said that Pandelela was being rested as she had already qualified for the Rio Olympics 2016.
Yang wants to give a chance to other divers to use Asian Cup as a platform to qualify for the Olympics.
The absence of Pandelela means, the likes of Traisy Vivien Tukiet and Lai Pui Yee would compete in the synchronized diving 10m platform women and synchronized diving 3m springboard women’s category.
“We want to give a chance to the other divers to qualify for the Olympics. They will join the competition this time since this is an important tournament for them in order to qualify for the Olympics.
“I hope they can do their best, even though there will be stiff competition from China and South Korea,” she told Utusan Malaysia at National Aquatic Centre, yesterday.
Pandelela, 22, became the first Malaysian athlete to qualify for the Olympics after winning a bronze medal, recording 338.10 points in the final of 10m platform event in the World Aquatic Championship in Kazan, last July.
Joining Pandelela to Rio is Ng Yan Yee, who finished 8th in 3m springboard women in Kazan.
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