SEA Games medal winners from Selangor receive incentives from state government

KLANG: Ninety-eight athletes and nine coaches from Selangor who had won medals at the recently concluded 29th SEA Games received incentives from the Selangor state government today.
The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah presented the incentives to 41 gold medal winners, 29 silver medal winners and 28 bronze medal winners while nine coaches were also rewarded for their contribution.
Gold medal winners received RM5,000; silver RM3,000 and bronze medal RM2,000 while the nine coaches received RM5,000 each.
The incentives were presented by the Sultan at Istana Alam Shah, here in the presence of Tengku Permaisuri Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin.
Sultan Sharafuddin in his speech said he was both happy and proud to note that athletes from Selangor had contributed 41 of the 145 gold medals won by the Malaysian contingent to emerge as the overall champion.
The Sultan hoped the incentives would serve as motivation for the athletes to excel in bigger competitions in the future.
"I am confident that the sports facilities provided by the government and private sector plus the investment made by the state government to prepare infrastructure and ensure the welfare of the athletes, will serve as a platform for sports to continue progressing at every level.
"I urge the State Sports Council to be more focused in producing athletes who can win gold medals in the Commonwealth Games and Olympics, especially in athletics, swimming, cycling and equestrian," he said.
A total of RM540,000 was given out as incentives.
Sultan Sharafuddin said sports was the best medium to promote peace and harmony in the country and that politics should not mix with sports.
In the 29th SEA Games held from Aug 19-30, 142 of the 844 athletes who made up the Malaysian contingent, were from Selangor and participated in 32 of the 38 sports contested.
Meanwhile, L. Karishma, 18, who was a member of the gold medal winning netball squad said it was the first time she had received such an incentive since becoming a National player a few years ago.
"I will use the money to buy equipment to enhance my skills in the sport," she said.
Diver Chew Yiwei, 22, said the incentive was in recognition of the sacrifices and contributions made by the athletes when representing the country.
"I did not expect to receive the incentive but this shows the commitment of the state government in supporting our efforts. The government has supported athletes well and we hope for such continuous support in the future," said Chew Yiwei, winner of a gold and silver medal in diving. — Bernama