Increase in incentives and grants
Published on: Wednesday, March 04, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: The Ministry of Youth and Sports increased the amount of incentives to sports associations following its good performance in both national and international competitions last year.At the three-in-one event at Promenade Hotel, Tuesday, Minister Datuk Tawfiq Abu Bakar Titingan said the amount was increased to RM66,612 last year from RM63,030 in 2013. He said that the annual grants have also been increased to RM2.441 million this year from RM2.192 million last year."It is an increase of 11 per cent from the grant allocation last year," he said at the Athlete Incentive 2014 Scheme cum Sports Associations 2015 Grant cum Chinese New Year celebration.
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He expressed hope that the incentives would spur sports fraternity in Sabah to excel even more at either domestic or international events.The incentive scheme, he said, was mooted since 1987 by the ministry as a gesture of appreciation from the government to the athletes who excelled at national and international levels.It is aimed that the scheme would be a catalyst to spur the athletes to achieve even greater heights, he said.He said a total of 22 sports associations received incentives for its good performance last year at national events and nine associations who won medals at international competitions. The Sabah Motoring Sports Association received the highest amount of incentive of RM4,999 in individual sports.
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Sabah Sepak Takraw Association (Astaka) received the highest amount of incentive for team category at RM6,434.Boxer Rudy Petrus received the highest amount of incentive for male athletes at RM3,500 while Nurul Ain Sohrab, RM2,300, for female athletes.
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The boxer won three gold, one silver and one bronze medals from international events while Nurul, two gold and one bronze medals from competitions in Uzbekistan and Amsterdam.On grants this year, Sabah Rugby Union (SRU) obtained the highest at RM101,000 while Sabah Weightlifting Association, RM100,000.The cycling, badminton, soccer, golf, karate, fencing, archery, athletics, sailing, swimming and sepak takraw, each received grants worth more than RM80,000.Tawfiq said, despite the State Government only allocating the ministry RM20.4 million this year for sports development, a decrease from the RM20.6 million last year, the ministry maintained the RM5 million grants to the sports associations."The grants are important for the associations so that it could implement its respective planning, coaches' salaries and allowances and also special aid to host national and international competitions here, "he said.He said the ministry allocated RM2.192 to assist 46 state sports associations implement its respective programmes. "This year, I am happy to announce that my ministry has increased the amount to RM2.441," he said.On other developments, he is happy to note that with the exception of two or three associations, most of the sports organisations have settled down.He said squabbling within organisation, more or less, have stopped or quietened down. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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