State govt to carefully decide incentives for top athletes

KUCHING (Aug 6): The incentive quantum for Sarawak athletes who win gold medals in the upcoming 21st Sukma is still being determined, according to Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

The matter requires careful consideration by the Sarawak Cabinet before a final decision is announced, he said. He believes the eventual amount will be equal or more compared to those offered by other states.

“We don’t want to announce it first, we want the athletes to only focus on achieving victory for Sarawak and personal success when they enter the court or stadium.

“This is very important as an athlete, never look at it from an incentive perspective. We know how to reward athletes who win,” he told reporters after attending a TVS talk show here on Monday.

When asked about the Olympic Games, he said Sarawakian athletes who managed to win a gold medal will receive half of the total incentives offered by the Federal government, just like the last edition of the Olympics.

Today, the minister gave further details on these incentives.

“If Olympics or Commonwealth (Games) we might give cash as well as landed property. If I am not mistaken, Dato Pandelela Rinong was given cash and landed property for winning medals in the Olympics,” he told reporters during a press conference on Padawan Raft Safari today.

“For Sukma, we have not reached the level to give in-kind (incentives). We will give definitely cash,” he added.