Kedah give out RM213,500 as incentives to Commonwealth Games, Asiad and SUKMA medallists

ALOR SETAR, Dec 10 (Bernama) -- The Kedah government today presented incentives worth RM213,500 to its athletes who won medals at two international and one local Games this year.

The athletes rewarded had won medals at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia, the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games in Indonesia and the 19th Malaysia Games (SUKMA) in Perak.

State Youth and Sports, Arts, Culture and Heritage, Entrepreneurial Development and Non-Governmental Organisations committee chairman Mohd Asmirul Anuar Aris said a total of 125 athletes received the incentives.

“Athletes who won gold at the Commonwealth Games and Asiad received RM10,000 each, while the silver medallists got RM3,000 each and bronze medallists RM2,000 each.

“For the SUKMA athletes, we gave the gold medallists RM3,500 each, silver medallists RM2,000 each and bronze medallists RM1,000 each,” he said at the presentation ceremony at Wisma Darul Aman here today.

The Raja Muda of Kedah Tengku Sarafuddin Badlishah Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin graced the occasion.

Mohd Asmirul said the incentives were in recognition of the sacrifices and difficulties faced by the athletes, team managers, coaches and their families in their efforts to bring glory to the state.

National weightlifter Muhamad Aznil Bidin was the only Commonwealth Games athlete to take home the RM10,000 incentive after winning gold in the 62kg category.

National youth squash players Aifa Azman and S. Sivasangari were among six Asian Games athletes to receive the incentives.

Meanwhile, 118 state SUKMA athletes also received the incentives. Their athletes won 19 golds, 20 silvers and 29 bronzes to be placed 10th out of 15 teams.

-- BERNAMA