KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s para-athletes have an added motivation in their quest for the nation’s first gold medal at the Rio Paralympics.
The Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has announced that the para-athletes will receive the same incentive scheme as their able-bodied counterparts.
Malaysian Paralympians bound for Rio can take a shot at the RM1million (S$336,686) reward for gold, RM300,000 for silver and RM100,000 for bronze.
Khairy added that they stand to get lifetime allowance of RM5,000, RM3,000 and RM2,000 for striking gold, silver and bronze.
There’s more good news as the allowances will also be backdated to cover all previous medallists at the Paralympics.
In Beijing, Malaysia won a one bronze through Siow Lee Chan in women’s powerlifting. In London four years ago, archer Hasihin Sanawi took silver in the individual recurve for the W1 category while Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli bagged bronze in the shot putt.
The previous incentive scheme for the Paralympics was RM300,000 for gold, RM200,000 for silver and RM100,000 for bronze.
“Nobody cares about the para-athletes before this but I am happy there are more awareness and news on their exploits.
“I have delivered on my promise and the government will certainly deliver if any of you win a medal in Rio.
“We should aim to do better than London as some of you are targeted for medals. Hopefully, we will end our gold medal wait.
“I hope all of you have the winning mentality. For those who are not medal prospects, they must try for personal bests or national records,” said Khairy to the para-athletes.
Led by chef de mission Dr Ang Kean Koo, Malaysia’s 21 athletes (19 men and two women) will depart for Rio on Tuesday.
Malaysia will compete in eight out of the 23 sports in the Paralympic programme.
Hopes of a historic gold medal rests on the shoulders of sprinter Mohd Ridzuan Mohd Puzi and long jumper Abdul Latif Romli.
The duo were gold medallists at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, Qatar last year. Ridzuan won the 100m in the T36 category while Abdul Latif leapt to a new Games record of 7.35m in the T20 category.
THE CONTINGENT
Athletics: Mohd Ridzuan Mohd Puzi, Abdul Latif Romli, Muhd Ziyad Zolkefli, Siti Noor Iasah Ariffin, Mohd Faizal Aideal Suhaimi, Krishna Kumar, Siri Noor Radiah Ismail, Nasharuddin Mohd, Amir Firdaus Jamaluddin.
Archery: Yuhaizam Yahaya, Hasihin Sanawi.
Cycling: Mohd Afiq Afify Rizan, Mohd Faizal Mohamed Noh, Mohd Khairul Hazwan, Mohd Rauf Nur Misbah.
Powerlifting: Mohd Shamil Saad, Mohd Shamil Saad.
Sailing: Mustakim Martim.
Swimming: Jamery Anak Siga.
Table tennis: Mohd Azwar Bakar.
Wheelchair tennis: Abu Samah Borhan.
