Special incentives for Hanoi SEA Games gold medal winners

KUALA LUMPUR: National athletes lucky enough to bag gold medals at the upcoming South East Asian (SEA) Games in Hanoi, Vietnam this May will receive special incentives in recognition of their efforts to bring glory to Malaysia at the biennial games.

The incentives will be handed personally to the athletes immediately after their gold medal win by SEA Games Malaysian chef de mission Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad.

Without revealing any specifics regarding the special incentives, Nur Azmi said the incentives would hopefully spur the national athletes to achieve great successes in Hanoi.

"I want athletes to help me gain medals so I myself need to prepare allocations for them so that everyone shares in the success.

"I will present the incentive personally in Hanoi. Regarding the amount, you should ask the first gold medalist there," he said at a media conference at the National Sports Council in Bukit Jalil today.

The incentives will serve as additional rewards to athletes who manage to win gold medals, and are eligible for the RM20,000 reward under the Sports Victory Prize Scheme Incentive (SHAKAM).

Malaysia is sending a 864-strong contingent, comprising 589 athletes and 217 officials to the Hanoi SEA Games and is taking part in 338 out of 526 events in 37 out of 40 sports being contested.

"In terms of athletes' preparation based on my visits to training venues, I can see their commitment rising drastically. We hope that no one will be infected by COVID-19 and I think we can expect two gold medals from diving by May 8," he said.

The initial medal target for the Malaysian contingent is 79 medals - 31 gold, 19 silver and 29 bronze - but the actual target will be announced this Wednesday.

-- BERNAMA