KUALA LUMPUR: National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail admitted that they have yet to reward athletes and coaches, including former national diving trainer Yang Zhuliang, for their successes under the National Sports Incentive Scheme (Shakam).
Shapawi, however, promised that they will be paid accordingly once the council get new sponsors.
For the record, NSC are a statutory government body.
“The delay is caused by limited funding as recent allocations were mainly used for last year’s Kuala Lumpur Sea Games and Asean Para Games.
“However, we will definitely fulfil our commitments as soon as possible,” said Shapawi.
He disclosed that only a handful of athletes, who attained successes last year, have yet to receive their incentives but the ones involved in the Sea Games were paid accordingly.
“It is something normal. There were times in the past we had dispersed incentives to athletes slightly late. People must understand that we are handing out incentives, not prize money.
Under the Shakam scheme, those who win medals at a world meet will be rewarded RM80,000 for gold, RM40,000 for silver and RM20,000 for bronze while their coaches receive 20 per cent of the total value.
keywords: diving, Yang Zhuliang, National Sports Council, director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismai.