KUALA LUMPUR: Three of the seven divers, who were filmed partying and drinking alcohol in February, could be booted out of the Podium Programme.
Already rocked by a sexual harassment scandal, Malaysian diving came under the spotlight again after videos on social media appeared to show seven divers, including two-time Olympic medallist Pandelela Rinong, partying and drinking alcohol during a training camp in Guangzhou in February.
It was filmed during a Chinese New Year dinner hosted by an accommodation manager in China.
Three of the divers – Pandelela, Nur Dhabitah Sabri and Chew Yiwei — are part of the podium programme, while the other four — Hanis Nazirul Jaya Surya, Jellson Jabillin, Gabriel Gilbert Daim and Kimberly Bong — are juniors.
Podium Programme director Tim Newenham said: “Those in podium could be removed from the programme. There is a clause in the podium contract that states athletes must not indulge in alcohol.
“It means that as professional athletes, they need to train hard and do their best in competitions.
“The divers, however, have admitted their mistake (of drinking alcohol in a camp in Guangzhou in February) and I believe they have learned from it,” Newenham noted.
Newenham said the National Sports Institute along with the National Sports Council and the Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (ASUM) will deliberate on the incident and decide on whether to punish them.
“We will try to settle the issue before the Asian Games (in August),” he added.
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