KUALA TERENGGANU: Nineteen state canoeists, including a family of eight siblings, were rewarded with cash incentives worth a total of RM10,900 for collectively bagging 52 gold medals, 17 silver and three bronze medals at four Malaysia Games (Sukma).
The canoeists had also won one gold, seven silver and four bronze at various Sea Games, Asian championships and South-East Asian championships.
Of special significance was the incentive for Mohd Azlan Ibrahim for helping to save six drowning victims at the Chendering beach on March 30, 2013.
Azlan was given another RM1,200 for a bronze effort at the 2014 Hong Kong Asian Championship and seven gold, one silver and three bronze in three Sukma.
Sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, a keen international endurance equestrian, gave away the incentives at a dinner at the Primula Beach Hotel.
Present were Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman and Terengganu Canoeing Association president Dzulkifli Abas.
Heading the list was Ahmad Shalaby Embong who bagged RM1,000 for winning silver at the 2013 Uzbekistan Asian Championship.
He was also placed eighth at the 2013 Duisburg World Championship in Germany, and was part of a four man team that set a Malaysia Book of Record feat by canoeing non-stop for 58 hours on Merdeka Day this year.
Nor Azita Ibrahim and Siti Rajiah Ali who won a bronze at the 2014 Asian Championship in Hong Kong, they both get RM1,000 and RM1,200, respectively.
Azita also bagged one gold and six silver, and established a national record at the 2014 South-East Asian Championship in Singapore, and bagged seven Sukma gold in 2014, thereby setting five Sukma and two national records.
Rajiah won a bronze at the 2013 Myanmar Sea Games and hauled 19 gold in three Sukma, setting five national records.
Others rewarded were brothers Mohd Effendi Mohd Azaha and Nuhammad Syafwatuddin Mohd Azaha for collectively winning seven gold, one silver and one bronze in two Sukma, thereby setting three Sukma and two national records to jointly get RM1,000.
Sisters Nurul Farahim Wahab and Fatin Ajeerah Wahab jointly won 17 gold and one silver and set three Sukma and two national records in four Sukma to jointly win RM1,000.
Siblings Mohd Azlan Ibrahim, Muhammad Azman Ibrahim, Muhammad Azmi Ibrahim, Nor Azita Ibrahim, Noor Azira Ibrahim, Nusaibah Syahida Ibrahim, Nur Shafikah Ibrahim and Noor Azila Ibrahim hauled at total of 24 gold, six silver and five bronze from four Sukma.
They were jointly given RM1,000 for their efforts.
Ahmad Shafiq Moha won four gold and one silver, setting two Sukma and one national record in the 2014 Sukma, to win RM1,000.
Dzulkifli said that eight of the total of 73 national athletes for this year’s Singapore Sea Games were from Terengganu’s canoeing team that contributed eight gold, four silver and 11 bronze medals.
“Terengganu won a total of 52 gold medals, 17 silver and three bronze for canoeing in four Sukma,” he said.
At the 12th Terengganu Sukma in 2008, the host state bagged 14 gold and four silver in the 18 canoeing events it took part.
At the 13th Malacca Sukma in 2010, Terengganu won 12 gold, three silver and one bronze, breaking three Sukma and one national record.
In 2011 at the 14th Kuala Lumpur Sukma, Terengganu took home 12 gold, two silver and two bronze, and broke two Sukma records.
At the 17th Perlis Sukma in 2014, Teengganu collected 14 gold and eight silver, breaking nine Sukma and four national records.
“Four Terengganu canoeists – Ahmad Shalaby Embong, Rizuan Ismail, and twins Azman Ibrahim and Azmi Ibrahim - carved their names into the Malaysia Book of Records when they paddled non-stop for 58 hours over three days on Aug 29-31 this year,” Dzulkifli said.
He commended Tuanku Mizan for his excellence in equestrian sports where his majesty won the Endurance Wilga 80km ride title in Australia on March 13, 2004 and the Harris River Ride 90km in Perth, Australia on Sept 3, 2005.
Tuanku Mizan also took part in the Dubai 180km Endurance in the United Arab Emirates on Jan 27, 2005 and was selected for the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar but withdrew owing to his installation ceremony at the king of Malaysia.