KUALA LUMPUR: It will be music to the ears of national sports associations (NSAs) if more money is allocated for sports after the tabling of the 2023 Budget tomorrow.
BAM secretary general Datuk Kenny Goh said it has not been an easy year since budgets were cut in 2021, and a bigger allocation for the coming year will motivate NSAs and athletes to push harder for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
For most sports, it will be crunch time as qualifiers for the Olympics will get underway next year.
Kenny said: "More money will mean we will get to prepare our players well for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"With the qualifiers looming, we will need more money to send players for more tournaments."
Badminton qualifiers will begin in May, and Malaysian shuttlers will need to collect as many ranking points as possible. The 10 best results for each player and pair within the one-year qualifying period will be taken into account.
Kenny said more money from the government would help BAM improve their national development programme.
"Apart from focusing on Paris 2024 for our elite athletes, we, as the national governing body, also want to do more at the grassroots level.
"If there is more money, it will be used to fund more development programmes," he added.