The Johor state government has recently awarded RM163,000 in incentives to forty Johor athletes for winning medals in the 2021 Vietnam SEA Games and the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, respectively.
The incentives, according to Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, are a gesture of recognition from the state government for the athletes’ efforts to bring glory to the state and nation.
“In fact, we will look into the possibility to increase the incentives so that athletes will be more motivated,” he said when speaking at the presentation of Johor Sports Victory Incentive for the 2021 SEA Games and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
At the SEA Games, 26 Johor athletes brought home three gold medals, seven silver medals, and 15 bronze medals. Gold medalists received RM4,000 each, silver medalists received RM2,000, and bronze medalists received RM1,500.
Six Johor athletes won two gold medals, two silver medals, and two bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games, with a gold medal worth RM16,000, a silver medal worth RM12,000, and a bronze medal worth RM8,000, plus an additional RM2,000 as a participation bonus.
Among those who received the incentives was badminton star Ng Tze Yong, who received a total of RM28,000 after winning one gold and one silver medal in the individual and team events at the Commonwealth Games.
Weightlifter Mohamad Aniq Kasdan received RM18,000 for winning the country’s first gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and cyclist Muhammad Shah Firdaus received RM10,000 for winning bronze in the Keirin (racing cycle) event.
