Dhabitah will no longer partner Pandelela in 10m platform synchro at international meet

Good times: Nur Dhabitah Sabri (left) has partnered Pandelela Rinong (right) in the platform synchro since 2017.

PETALING JAYA: All good things must come to an end.

And it is the same in Malaysia diving, as top woman diver Nur Dhabitah Sabri has called off her eight-year partnership with Pandelela Rinong in the 10m platform synchro event that had yielded multiple medals at the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World Championships.

Dhabitah has asked for the Malaysian Swimming Federation (MSF) that she be allowed to focus only on the women’s 3m springboard events - synchro and individual - from now on.

Dhabitah has partnered with Pandelela in the platform synchro since 2017.

Pandelela combined with Cheong Jun Hoong to take silver in the 10m platform synchro event at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016 but she teamed up with Dhabitah to bag a silver for the first time in the Diving World Series in Windsor, Canada, the following year.

The last time Dhabitah and Pandelela made the podium on the world stage together was winning bronze at the 2022 world meet in Budapest, Hungary, and at the Hangzhou Asian Games.

The 25-year-old Dhabitah, who tied the knot in 2023, is also a reliable diver in the springboard events.

Dhabitah made her third straight Olympic appearance in Paris where she qualified for the women’s 3m springboard individual final.

Malaysian diving technical director Yeoh Ken Nee said a decision has been made to pair Pandelela up with a younger partner for the women’s platform synchro following Dhabitah’s request.

“Dhabitah made a request that she wanted to focus only on the springboard events for the major Games.

“It could probably be because she is already married and wanted to manage her condition better by not putting her body through too much stress. We respect her decision.

“We are trying out Cambodia SEA Games platform gold medallist Lee Yiat Qing as Pandelela’s new partner for the women’s platform synchro.

“But we are also grooming Nurul Farisya Alia Affendi-Nur Eilisha Rania for the women’s platform synchro. They were gold medallists at last year’s Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Sarawak.

“We’ve to prepare them from now as we have to think about the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games next year,” said Ken Nee, who added that the two pairs would have to fight it out to earn the right to compete in the world meet scheduled to take place in Singapore from July 11-Aug 3.

“These two pairs will prepare for the national trials here in Bukit Jalil in May. The better pair will be entered for the world championships.”

Besides the world meet, the SEA Games in Thailand in December will also be the focus for the divers although only four diving events will be contested.