Pandelela undeterred by COVID-19 threat

Pandelela said as a leading athlete she had no choice but to do her best to meet the Key Performance Index (KPI) for her mission although her preparation and training had been disrupted by the pandemic.

"I have been prepared for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics because it's the dream of every athlete and when it was postponed to next year, it inevitably affected us mentally and physically in terms of preparation.

"When faced with challenges we will feel down but do not give up easily and have the confidence to go further," she said at the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) 'Forum Live Santai Belia KBS' via Facebook on the topic "Cabaran Belia Pasca Covid-19: Layari Norma Baharu Kehidupan" (Post-COVID-19 Challenge for Youths: Surfing the New Normal of Life) yesterday.

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican moderated the one-hour programme which featured three invited guests -- Malaysian Youth Council president Jufitri Joha, Arba Travels chief executive officer Ammar Roslizar and Pandelela -- and a special appearance by viral Youtuber S. Pavithra and her husband M. Sugu

Meanwhile, Reezal Merican expressed confidence that youths could adapt to the new normal of life forced by the coronavirus threat.

"I hope the discussions here can help (youths) to map out their life journey to turn the decade of 2020 to 2030 into a youth decade," he added.

Ammar said society should adopt a positive outlook in these challenging times by harnessing technology to tap the wide market opportunities available to build an entrepreneurial career.

"I believe entrepreneurship is the key driver for creating jobs and helping society to emerge from the middle-income trap," Ammar added.

The YouTuber couple, who goes by the name 'Sugu Pavithra', also advised the people to remain resolute and positive in facing the current challenges.