SEPANG –The Malaysian national sepak takraw squad are poised to receive an exceptional honour of RM170,000 from the National Sports Council (NSC).
Given as a special acknowledgement for their outstanding victory in the International Sepak Takraw Federation (ISTAF) World Cup at Titiwangsa Stadium last month, Hannah Yeoh said this is different from the usual National Sports Incentive Scheme.
The youth and sports minister revealed that the squad, emerging champions in both doubles and regu events, will receive a reward of RM60,000 for the gold medal, while they will receive RM50,000 for the silver medal won in the teams event.
Previously, confusion arose due to the ISTAF calendar, where alongside the World Cup Championship, the annual Thai King’s Cup was also recognised as a world championship.
Yet, for Hannah, the historic achievement of the national sepak takraw squad in securing the World Cup on home ground warrants significant recognition, particularly considering Malaysia’s triumph over its primary rival Thailand in both the double and regu events’ finals.
“This is a special incentive from the NSC, distinct from the National Sports Incentive Scheme. This is because this championship isn’t the primary event designated by the Malaysian Sepak Takraw Association.
“However, I’ve exercised my discretion as minister to grant this special commendation because we understand the immense significance of the Sepak Takraw World Cup to the Malaysian people and athletes.
“We’re aware of the relentless effort put in by the athletes to clinch the gold,” said Hannah during the homecoming ceremony for the para lawn bowl athletes at KLIA today.
At the same time, Hannah also took note of the Sepak Takraw Association’s request for a dedicated stadium for national sepak takraw players to conduct training sessions and host international matches.
However, the Youth and Sports Ministry is currently facing constraints in fulfilling the association’s request.
Instead, it suggests that the governing body collaborates with local universities equipped with world-class sports facilities to serve as the official training grounds for the national sepak takraw squad.
“With 103 sports disciplines under consideration, ideally, each sport would have its dedicated training venue. However, it’s logistically challenging to allocate a separate stadium for every sport.
“Therefore, we propose to engage in discussions with the association to partner with universities.
“Given our extensive collaboration with the Higher Education Ministry, which possesses ample land for sports activities, utilising university facilities during non-competition periods appears to be the most viable solution,” she added. – June 3, 2024