KUALA LUMPUR – Even a week later, Malaysians are still abuzz with excitement over the national sepak takraw squad’s remarkable double triumph at the recent ISTAF World Cup Championship.
This historic moment saw the national team outshine their long-standing rival, Thailand, not once but twice in the doubles and the regu event held at Titiwangsa Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.
Despite this outstanding achievement, an official announcement has yet to be made from the Youth and Sports Ministry regarding the rewards the national sepak takraw squad rightfully deserves under the National Sports Incentive Scheme.
Speaking to Scoop, Malaysia Sepak Takraw Association president Datuk Sumali Reduan admitted that they have yet to engage with the ministry on this matter.
However, Sumali personally funded rewards for all players involved, though he refrained from disclosing the exact amounts.
“This is a historic achievement. Not only did we emerge as champions of the World Cup, but we also managed to defeat Thailand, our traditional rival, and I am very satisfied with that,” said Sumali when contacted.
“Although my desire was to achieve a hat-trick victory in the regu, doubles, and team events, two gold medals in the first two categories for this edition are already very proud achievements for me.
“Therefore, I believe these players deserve to receive all the rewards they are entitled to from the government. This is not a small achievement because it is at the World Cup level.”
According to the latest updates from the National Sports Council (NSC), teams with more than five members participating in the biennial World Championship are entitled to a reward of RM2,000 per person in the event of a gold medal win.
Additional criteria stipulate that the championships must be contested by a minimum of 15 countries to qualify for rewards.
However, the rewards are disbursed in full if there are eight or more participating nations in a single category within those championships.
For this edition of the ISTAF World Cup, a total of 21 countries participated overall, with 12 nations vying in both the doubles and team events in the premier category.
However, the NSC and the Sports Ministry may face challenges in determining reward classifications due to the ISTAF international calendar, which includes not only the World Cup but also the World Championship.
This is further complicated by ISTAF’s decision to rename the prestigious tournament in Thailand as the King’s Cup World Championship, an annual event held in Bangkok. – May 28, 2024