Former medal-winning paralympians to get pensions

SHAH ALAM: Former medal-winning paralympians were assured that they will start receiving pensions as well after it is streamlined with pensions for Olympians.
Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said it will be in line with the amount Olympic medal-winners receive currently.
"Now that we have streamlined the winning incentives for Olympians and Paralympians, I have asked the same be done for pensions as well," Khairy told a press conference at the Proton Centre of Excellence today.
He said gold medallists will receive RM5,000, silver medallists RM3,000, while bronze medallists will receive RM2,000.
The government did not have a pension scheme for paralympians before.
Khairy said this to reporters after an Olympian Medallists Appreciation Ceremony which saw Proton awarding medal-winning athletes in Rio 2016 brand new Proton cars.
An English daily highlighted the plight of former paralympian P. Mariappan, who is wheelchair-bound and is barely making ends meet.
Mariappan represented Malaysia and competed as a power lifter in every (seven in total) Paralympic Games from 1988 to 2012, bagging two bronze medals in the process.
Khairy said Mariappan and other former medal-winning paralympians will start receiving their pensions by October.
"Mariappan won bronze medals, so he will start receiving RM2,000 pension by October," the Rembau MP said.
Additionally, he had also referred to the National Sports Council for employment opportunities for Mariappan at the Paralympic Centre of Excellence in Kampung Pandan.
Khairy said the two-time bronze medallist could be hired as a coach or trainer and the government would love to have him back.
Khairy said said many sceptics doubted the athletes in Rio but they managed to become the best Malaysian Olympic contingent yet with 4 silvers and a bronze medal.
He said this is also true for paralympians, who had so far netted three gold medals in the ongoing Paralympics.