Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad (left) presents a mock cheque to Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games silver medallist Chew Wei Lun September 21, 2021. — Picture by Ben Tan
KOTA ISKANDAR, Sept 21 — The Johor government today gave out monetary incentives to athletes representing the state who had competed in the recent Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Among the athletes who received the incentive was Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games silver medallist Chew Wei Lun.
Chew, who won silver in the boccia event, received RM15,000.
Paralympian Siti Noor Iasah Mohamad Ariffin, who entered the T20 athletics, received RM5,000.
Apart from both Chew and Siti Noor Iasah, two coaches, Sallehudin Mohd Noh (cycling) and Muhammad Ashaari Zainal Abidin (tennis), also received RM5,000 each.
The same incentive was also given to Tokyo 2020 Olympic athletes, namely cycling athletes Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom, Nur Aisyah Jamil (sailing), Kelly Tan Guat Chen (golf) and Syaqiera Mashayikh (archery).
Nur Aisyah, Guat Chen and Syaqiera were represented today by their parents.
The incentive was personally handed to the recipients by Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad in a ceremony held at Kota Iskandar here today.
Also present were Johor Tourism, Youth and Sports Committee chairman Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and Johor Sports Council director Nor Syazlan Abd Razak.
Hasni said the state government will ensure that sports facilities will be improved in line with the birth of athletes who have made a name for themselves at the international level.
“Sports associations play an important role in helping athletes not only to achieve success, but also for their welfare.
“When athletes involved are no longer able to compete due to various factors such as age or health, the experience and knowledge they have should be used for further development of the sport,” he said, adding that the respective sports associations need to take on such roles.