KUALA LUMPUR — National athletes heading to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games can now make early preparations, thanks to the government’s continued funding for the Road to Gold (RTG) programme under Budget 2025.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh expressed confidence that the financial boost, part of the RM230 million allocation for sports development, will enable athletes under the RTG programme to start gearing up for their quest to secure Malaysia’s first-ever Olympic gold medal.
“The RM230 million sports development allocation is extremely useful for our sports programmes, including the Podium Programme and the RTG.
“The RTG preparation is for two Olympic cycles, namely Paris 2024 and LA28, meaning they can now start making early preparations,” she said after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tabled Budget 2025 in Parliament here today, Bernama reported.
The budget also includes support for athletes participating in major international events like the World Para Athletics Championships and the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics.
Additionally, RM15 million was allocated to the Harimau Malaya football team, as well as the Under-18 and Under-13 squads in collaboration with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
In line with expanding support for sports, the government has set aside RM20 million to enhance the e-sports ecosystem, focusing on talent development and upgrading e-sports arenas.
RM1 million has also been allocated for cricket development.
Another significant proposal in the budget is the income tax exemption on cash prize rewards received by individual and team athletes through the National Sports Incentives Scheme, administered by the National Sports Council (NSC).
Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria praised the sports allocation, calling it a strong foundation for advancing the nation’s sporting ambitions.
He highlighted the importance of this investment in preparing athletes with world-class training ahead of major events like the 2025 Thailand SEA Games and LA28.
“We also view the initiatives tabled by the prime minister as being inclusive for not leaving out the para-athletes.
“I hope we can the best use of this to continue the cycle of national athletes and the development of national sports,” he told Bernama.
Norza also said the allocation for football development and tax exemptions for the National Sports Incentives Scheme shows the government’s commitment to nurturing sporting excellence.
Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) president Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin hopes the Youth and Sports Ministry will allocate RM15 million to support the 25 national para-sports associations.
This funding would be aimed at developing athletes not yet part of the NSC’s programmes, particularly at the grassroots level.
Malaysia Electronic Sports Federation (MESF) president Muhammad Naim Al Amin Saharudin suggested that a portion of the RM20 million allocated for e-sports be used to identify talent at the school level.
He proposed introducing a co-curricular module, developed in collaboration with the Education Ministry, to cover not only gaming but also competition organisation and player health. — October 18, 2024