Minos: National Sportswoman Pandelela to be honoured during Bung Bratak Day do
KUCHING: Newly-crowned National Sportswoman award winner Dato Pandelela Rinong will be honoured during this year’s Bung Bratak Day celebrations, said Bung Bratak Heritage Association president Dato Peter Minos.
He said the Bung Bratak Day, last held in 2019, will return this year, bringing back traditional dances and other ceremonies atop the 1,000-foot tall Bung Bratak hill in Bau, which was traced as the ancestral home of the Bidayuhs of the Jagoi-Bratak group.
“Pandelela comes from the Bung Bratak area of Kampung Jugan. That is why we are particularly happy and pleased. It is not every day that we get someone so outstanding and so exalted. We salute her.
“We will invite Pandelela for the Bung Bratak Day on May 1 to thank her in person. We too want to honour her,” he said.
Minos was commenting on Pandelela, the national diving queen, who received the 2021 National Sportswoman award from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.
It was the fourth National Sportswoman crown for Pandelela, with the previous awards coming in 2011, 2012 and 2015. Her most notable achievement in 2021 was winning the world title in the individual 10m platform at the 2021 World Diving championships in Japan.
Meanwhile, powerlifting world record holder Bonnie Bunyau Gustin from Serian was crowned as the National Paralympic Sportsman. Bonnie had swept the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics held in 2021.
Minos said the Bung Bratak Heritage Association is very happy and pleased that Pandelela and Bonnie were awarded by government for their achievements and bringing honour to the country.
He added the Bidayuh community are also honoured with the award given to Pandelela and Bonnie.
“Both Pandelela and Bonnie had sweated it out and did their best for the nation. For Pandelela, she has been doing it for years now. It is great the nation recognises and appreciates that,” he said.
Pandelela had posted a ‘wefie’ of herself and Anwar shortly after the award presentation.
The photo, however, was affected by the flash from a camera, which prompted Pandelela to come up with the caption: ‘When you got a rare chance to selfie with PMX (10th Prime Minister). But whose camera flash was that lah, haiyaaa..’