KOTA SAMARAHAN: Sarawak will reward its athletes who win medals at the Malaysia Games (Sukma) with unmatched monetary incentives, said Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah today.
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He said the exact amount of these incentives would be announced by Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg tomorrow during a visit to a taekwondo competition venue.
“I dare say that the incentives will be very generous,” Karim told reporters at the opening of a games village at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak here.
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In response to Selangor and Johor’s offers of RM10,000 for gold medallists, Karim is confident that Sarawak’s rewards would surpass those of its competitors.
Pahang is offering an incentive of RM6,000 while Perlis, Perak, Melaka and Negri Sembilan have promised rewards of RM5,000 to athletes who win gold medals in individual events.
Karim said a total of 33 games villages had been established across Sarawak.
Although the official opening ceremony is scheduled for Aug 17, some competitions have already begun.
The games will be opened by Sarawak Governor Tun Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar at the Sarawak Stadium.
Acknowledging some construction delays, Karim gave the assurance that the venues would be ready for the competitions.
“We’ve had to implement temporary solutions like mobile toilets for certain facilities.”
While the cycling track requires finishing touches, the hockey stadium, complete with newly installed carpets, is now operational.
-NewStraitTimes