KUALA LUMPUR: The Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM) are unhappy with diver Datuk Pandelela Rinong after the diver who apparently cleared the air today on the “entity” issue, stated that her words had been misinterpreted by the media, leading to speculation and misunderstanding.
SAM said pointing the finger at the media after her ‘entity’ claim was widely reported following the below par performance of the diving squad at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, was not fair.
SAM President Norismadi Abd Manap said sports journalists have always carried out their duties professionally and news published in the print, electronic media or news portals have always been reliable.
“News published is based on statements issued by individuals and currently all such statements are recorded for reference and evidence. Therefore, it is not fair to point the finger at the media.
“The media has never questioned Pandelela’s contributions or achievements but blaming the media is not justified,” he said in a statement today.
Despite mentioning there were issues when asked by the media what could have affected the team’s performance upon her arrival from Doha, the 30-year-old athlete said she could not elaborate on this without first meeting up with the relevant parties to conduct a post-mortem.
On Thursday, the Malaysian Swimming Federation (MAS) secretary-general Andy Low told a press conference that they would investigate Pandelela’s claims that interference from an “entity” had taken a toll on the national diving camp performance in Doha.-Bernama