PM Proposes Doubling Cash Incentive For Future SEA Games Gold Medallists

KUALA LUMPUR: Athletes now have 10,000 more reasons to settle for nothing but the gold medal in future SEA Games.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, in addressing the country’s top athletes at a function at Juara Stadium in Bukit Kiara yesterday to fete their success at the Indonesia SEA Games, drew the loudest cheers when he proposed doubling the cash incentive for winning the gold medal.

Najib proposed that RM20,000 be given to athletes for their first gold medal in future SEA Games. It is a 100 per cent increase from the current RM10,000 for gold medal performances in the just concluded Games.

Subsequent gold medals won by the athlete will be worth RM10,000 each. Those who win a gold medal in a team event made up of at least five members, will get RM10,000 each – four times the current amount.

There is no reward for silver or bronze medal performances at the SEA Games, unlike for the Common-wealth Games and Asian Games.

For bowler Adrian Ang, who turned out to be the biggest winner yesterday with RM20,333, it was all good news to him.

“I would be getting more if the proposal was for this SEA Games but that’s not the reason why I am in the sport,” he said.

“I want to achieve the best results and winning the gold gives me the greatest satisfaction. Monetary rewards come later and we, as athletes, should be grateful that the government appreciates us, especially with a better carrot for the future,” said Adrian, who was the best performer in the national bowling team’s campaign in Jakarta.

The 23-year-old shone with four gold medals in the men’s doubles, trios, team and Masters, and a bronze in the singles.

A total of RM629,996 was handed out to the 91 winners yesterday in recognition of their golden efforts at the SEA Games in Jakarta and Palembang last month.

After Adrian, track cyclist Fatehah Mustapa received the second highest amount of RM17,000 for her gold medals in the sprint, 500m time trial and team sprint.

Synchronised swimmer Katrina Ann Hadi picked up a cheque for RM12,666 despite winning five gold medals.

This was because Katrina won only one individual gold, the other four coming from the duet and team disciplines.

Other big winners were double gold medallists divers Bryan Nickson Lomas and Yeoh Ken Nee, and swimmers Siow Yi Ting and Heidi Gan.

SPORTCHECK: Improved Incentive

NOTE OF CAUTION: Strive for success on the international stage and just not be satisfied with regional success


AS the country's 4x400m men's quartet received their long-awaited Sea Games gold medals, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced the doubling of incentives for gold medal winners at the next edition in 2013.

Najib, however, urged national athletes not to be satisfied at merely becoming regional champions after returning home with 59 gold medals from Jakarta and Palembang last month and aim for success at continental and world levels.

With that came a note of caution as the prime minister warned under-performing sport officials not to hinder the progress of sports and to step down if they are no longer able to contribute.

"Sport has the ability to lift the spirits of an entire nation and that is why the government has been fully supportive of efforts to achieve success in sport. While we are very proud of the achievements of our athletes at the Sea Games, they must use this success as building blocks or a launching pad to even bigger success.

"We must look at how we can work hard and more effectively to develop our back-up athletes through systematic training programmes. There must be an entire ecosystem to support the development of sport.

"The progress of an athlete is a long journey that entails great sacrifices and hours of training. We must provide the best ecosystem to allow these athletes to achieve bigger success and to make Malaysia a world powerhouse in sport," said Najib in his address to the 91 athletes who helped Malaysia win 59 gold medals to finish fourth in the medal tally at the Juara Stadium in Bukit Kiara yesterday.

A total of RM630,000 was given out to the gold medal winners under the Sport Incentive Scheme but the figure does not include the additional RM3,000 to each athlete in team sports which Najib announced yesterday along with the increase of the first gold medal incentive from RM10,000 to RM20,000 for the 2013 Myanmar Sea Games.

"In addition to the RM30 million which the government has allocated for sports recently, we have decided to revise the incentives for the Sea Games gold medal winners.

All athletes in team sports who have received RM2,000 will now get RM5,000, including those who won at the recent Sea Games. For the next Sea Games, the first gold medal for each individual athlete is worth RM20,000 and RM10,000 for each subsequent gold medal.

"This has been done to provide a boost to athletes to ensure future success," added Najib, who later presented the gold medals to 4x400m athletes Yunus Lasalleh, S. Kannathasan, P. Yuvaraaj and Schzuan Ahmad Rosely.

The quarter, who travelled to the Sea Games under Category B where they were privately funded, did not receive their medals in Palembang after being put on a flight home the next day just hours before the medal ceremony.

The poor treatment of the four athletes by the Malaysian Athletic Union drew a rebuke from Najib, who warned sport officials to shape up or ship out.
"The government has provided massive funding for sport but poor and careless leadership in sport associations threatens our hope for success in sport. To these officials, I say tepuk dada, tanya selera because the hope of the rakyat is on your shoulders," Najib warned.

Najib also praised the football team for defending the gold medal under intense pressure and conditions in Jakarta and said their success brought unbridled happiness to the nation.

Read more: SPORTCHECK: Improved incentive - Other - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/sports/other/sportcheck-improved-incentive-1.17165#ixzz1g7eUXeVm