BANGI: National athletes who competed in the Special Olympics World Games took home, for the first time, rewards worth RM95,500 out of RM2.4 million that was offered through the National Sports Incentive Scheme (Shakam) last night.
In the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, Germany from June 17-25, 14 athletes won four golds, five silvers and nine bronzes at the meet, making it Malaysia’s best achievement at the Special Olympics, which are specifically held for people with intellectual disabilities.
At the SHAKAM 2023 awards ceremony, the 2023 SEA Games contingent received rewards worth over RM1.2 million, with athletes from athletics and pencak silat bagging the highest amount of incentives.
The athletics camp, which took home five golds, three silvers and 11 bronzes, received RM141,000 worth of incentives, while the pencak silat exponents (four golds, five silvers and four bronzes) received RM115,000.
The Asean Para Games (APG) contingent, meanwhile, received incentives worth RM1.18 million, with the swimmers alone taking home about RM500,000 following their outstanding achievement in bagging 26 golds, 12 silvers and 10 bronzes.
The incentives were presented by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at a hotel here.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, who was met after the ceremony, hoped that the incentive would spur the athletes to continue to achieve success in the international arena.
“We are very happy that this time we can gather (the) Special Olympics (athletes) together because they’re all athletes, whether they’re para athletes or Special Olympics. So, we want to gather them together, so they’re able to see beyond themselves (beyond their own sports),” she said.
In the biennial SEA Games in Cambodia from May 5-17, the national contingent won 34 gold, 45 silver and 96 bronze medals while at the Cambodia APG, Malaysia took home 50 gold, 38 silver and 34 bronze medals.
For the SEA Games and APG, the medallists received RM20,000 for the first gold medal and RM10,000 for the second gold medal and for individual events, RM3,000 for silver and RM1,000 for bronze. – BERNAMA
