Five World Champions In The Running For SAM-100PLUS Best Athlete Award

KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 (Bernama) -- Five world champions of different sports have been included in the short list for the 2025 Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM)-100PLUS 2025 Best Athlete Award.

All eyes will be on women’s wushu champion, Tan Cheong Min who won three gold medals at the World Championship last year, along with national mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, who became world champions in France last August.

Women’s lawn bowler Emma Firyana Saroji, who won the Lawn Bowling World Championship in Juara Stadium, Bukit Kiara in November, kegler Muhammad Rafiq Ismail who won the gold in the team event in the International Bowling Federation World Cup in Hong Kong and silat exponent Mohd Abdul Latif Maxzakir, the pencak silat world champion of 2024, round up the list.

Meanwhile three paralympians, Cheah Liek Hou (para badminton), Bonnie Bunyau Gustin (para powerlifting) and Datuk Abdul Latif Romly (para athletics) will be up against two para swimmers, Abdul Halim Mohammad and Carmen Lim for the 2025 Best Para Athlete Award, 

SAM president Norismadi Abd Manap the winners of the two main categories will receive RM10,000 in cash and a trophy each at the prize giving ceremony at a hotel on May 13.

“The 2025 SAM-100PLUS Awards will also honour the contributions of sportswriters with awards in size categories, Best News Report (Print Media), Best News Report (Electronic Media), Best News Commentary (Print Medi), Best News Commentary (Electronic Media), Best Special Report (Open) and Best Sports Photography.

“The best overall winner for the sportswriters category will receive the Siebel Award,” he said at a media conference here today.

-- BERNAMA