KUALA LUMPUR: Up to RM400,000 has been allocated by the Youth and Sports Ministry to financially support national 400m women’s record holder Shereen Samson Vallabouy's athletics career, says Hannah Yeoh.
The Youth and Sports Minister said this amount will cover Shereen's lodging and coaching expenses, as well as food, supplements and championship expenses, among others.
“The financial aid will last a year, beginning from June 1 until July next year, to allow her to continue training at Lifespeed Athletics Florida under coach Derrick White.
ALSO READ: SEA Games: Shereen brings home 400m gold after 24 years
“We hope this package will encourage Shereen to work even harder to qualify for the World Championships in August on merit, and to win a medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
“This will qualify her for the Paris Olympics 2024, on merit,” she told a press conference at Parliament on Tuesday (May 23).
Yeoh said the package also signified a commitment to women's participation in sports, which the ministry prioritised.
Concurrently, Yeoh said the ministry was having discussions with men’s national 400m record holder Umar Osman to identify any form of aid that could be offered to prepare him for the Asian Games.
ALSO READ: Unbelievable Umar wins and breaks long-standing national record
At the 2023 SEA Games earlier this month, Shereen ended Malaysia’s 24-year wait for the women’s 400m gold, clocking a time of 53.53s to finish first.
Malaysia last won the gold through N. Manimagalay at the 1999 Brunei SEA Games.
In April, Shereen also broke the 30-year-old women’s 400m national record, notching a time of 51.80s to finish first in the first heat of the St Mac Relays at the Mt San Antonio College in Walnut, California.
