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| Human Interest | |
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Further Personal Information | |
| Residence | Kuala Lumpur, MAS |
| Higher education | Sports Management - University of Malaya: Kuala Lumpur, MAS |
General Interest | |
| Hobbies | Watching movies, listening to music. (Athlete, 23 Jul 2021) |
| Injuries | She sustained a back injury during training at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. She skipped the synchronised 10m platform event and had to withdraw after the first round of the individual 10m platform due to the pain. (thestar.com.my, 30 Aug 2018; bernama.com, 30 Aug 2018) She suffered from back and shoulder problems from 2014 all the way through the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (thestar.com.my, 24 Aug 2016) She suffered a knee injury in July 2014 that affected her participation at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. The injury also meant she could only compete in two events at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, Republic of Korea. (thestar.com.my, 06 Aug 2014; thestar.com.my, 29 Sep 2014) She suffered an ankle injury in 2012 after the Olympic Games in London that kept her out of the Asian championships and the ASEAN University Games. (nst.com.my, 03 Mar 2013) She fractured a bone in her toe in 2010 that took six months to heal. (Athlete, 03 Jul 2012 |
| Famous relatives | Her older brother Pardika Indoma has represented Malaysia in diving. He was ranked ninth in the 3m springboard synchro at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Tucson, AZ, United States of America. (SportsDeskOnline, 09 Aug 2017; e.nst.com.my, 31 Aug 2011) |
| Hero / Idol | US diver David Boudia. (Athlete, 23 Jul 2021) |
| Awards and honours | In 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2022 she was named Sportswoman of the Year by the National Sports Council of Malaysia. (bharian.com, 01 Feb 2023; pandelela.my, 31 Mar 2018) In 2017 the Pandelela Rinong Aquatic Centre was opened in Petra Jaya, Malaysia. (utusanborneo.com.my, 02 Mar 2017) In 2011 and 2013 she was named Best Sportswoman at Bukit Jalil Sports School [BJSS] in Malaysia. (theborneopost.com, 25 Nov 2013; thestar.com.my, 16 Nov 2011) She was flag bearer for Malaysia at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. (fina.org, 18 Mar 2016) In 2009 and 2010 she was named Sportswoman of the Year in Sarawak, Malaysia. (thestar.com.my, 15 Nov 2013) She was flag bearer for Malaysia at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. (thestar.com.my, 26 Aug 2010) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | She began diving at age eight in Kuching, Malaysia. |
International Debut | |
| Year | 2007 |
| Competing for | Malaysia |
| Tournament | South East Asian Games |
| Location | Nakhon Ratchasima, THA |
Further Personal Information | |
| Occupation | Athlete |
| Languages | English, Malay, Mandarin |
General Interest | |
| Other information | EARLY DAYS At age 14 she left her hometown of Kuching, Malaysia, and moved to Kuala Lumpur to begin training with the national team. A year later she made her Olympic debut at the 2008 Games in Beijing. She has gone on to make a further three appearances at the Games, winning bronze in 2012 and silver in 2016. "At the age of 14, I left home to pursue my career as a national diver. I had to make some sacrifices. I had to learn how to be independent, to be wiser. And then I had to learn new skills in order to become independent. As I gradually improved in diving, I surprised myself when I qualified for my first Olympic Games in Beijing at the age of 15. Since then, I forced myself to think wiser than my age and set long-term goals to compete in more Olympics." (olympics.com, 04 Aug 2021; astroawani.com, 25 Jul 2021) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Why this sport? | "I was picked by a swimming coach while she was on a visit to my primary school to look for potential swimmers to join her training programme. I was later given the choice to learn diving as I was not afraid of heights and was brave enough to jump from a three-metre board." |
General Interest | |
| Ambitions | To compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (bharian.com, 01 Feb 2023) |
| Most influential person in career | Her state diving coach, who influenced her decision to pursue the sport seriously. (Athlete, 13 Aug 2018) |
| Nicknames | Lela [given to her by her coach]. (Athlete, 13 Aug 2018) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Name of coach | Li Rui [national], CHN |
General Interest | |
| Memorable sporting achievement | Winning bronze in the 10m platform at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. (Athlete, 23 Jul 2021) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto | "Never give up on achieving your dreams, and be honest and kind to others." (Athlete, 23 Jul 2021) |
| Milestones | She became the first female athlete representing Malaysia in any sport to win a medal at the Olympic Games by claiming bronze in the 10m platform at the 2012 Games in London. It was also the first Olympic diving medal won by a Malaysian athlete. (SportsDeskOnline, 29 Jul 2018; theborneopost.com, 10 Aug 2012) She and Leong Mun Yee became the first divers representing Malaysia to win a medal at the world championships by securing bronze in the synchronised 10m platform event at the 2009 World Championships in Rome, Italy. (SportsDeskOnline, 29 Jul 2018; fina.org, 18 Mar 2016) |
| Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs | She likes to wear her lucky swimsuit. (Athlete, 23 Jul 2021) |