Biggest ever payout await Olympic winners with more sponsors

Smashing reward to aim for: Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik should be among the medal contenders in Paris.

PETALING JAYA: There will be millions of reasons for Malaysian athletes to come back with a gold from the Olympic Games in Paris from July 26-Aug 13.

The payouts this time is going to be much much more lucrative.

In a way to motivate the athletes, several corporate companies are expected to step in to dangle the carrot for the contingent to end Malaysia’s agonising wait for a gold medal.

For a start, it is learnt that the ever faithful Co-founder and executive chairman of Senheng New Retail Berhad Lim Kim Heng had offered RM1 mil from his own pocket money.

His incentive is for those who came through the Senheng-Samsung SS Badminton Scholarship Talent programme, namely shuttlers Aaron Chia, Soh Wooi Yik, and Chen Tang Jie.

Aaron-Wooi Yik won a bronze medal at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo while Tang Jie is making his debut with Toh Ee Wei in the mixed doubles in the Paris Games.

Two other corporate sectors are expected to join in the bandwagon, offering RM1 mil for any athletes to nick the first gold.

If all fall into place, all three of them are expected to make an official announcement on the perks for success at a press conference next week.

There are other incentives as well.

Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh had announced in February that national athletes who win medals in Paris will be rewarded with a foreign-made car.

It won’t be the only vehicle gift-wrapped as China’s automotive brand Chery also offered national Olympic medallists a sports utility vehicle (SUV) if they make the podium.

A gold medallist will get a Tiggo 8 Pro SUV, a silver medallist an Omoda E5, and a bronze medal is worth a Tiggo 7 Pro.

Under the National Sports Council (NSC) incentive scheme (Shakam), a gold at the Olympics and Paralympics is worth RM1 mil, a silver RM300,000, and a bronze RM100,000.

There will also be bonuses from their respective associations and states.

Besides Aaron-Wooi Yik, Tang Jie-Ee Wei, the others heading to Paris are shuttlers Lee Zii Jia, Goh Jin Wei, Aaron Chia-Soh Woo Yik, M. Thinaah-Pearly Tan; Mohd Azeem Fahmi (athletics); Ariana Nur Dania Mohd Zairi, Nurul Azreena Mohd Fazil and Syaqiera Mashayikh (archery); Azizulhasni Awang, Mohd Shah Firdaus Sahrom and Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri (track cycling); Nur Aisyah Mohd Zubir (road cycling); Johnathan Wong (shooting); Aniq Kasdan (weightlifting); Bertrand Rhodict and Nur Dhabitah Sabri (diving); Nur Shazrin Mohd Latif and Khairulnizam Afendy (sailing); Gavin Green and Ashley Lau (golf); Tan Rouxin and Khiew Hoe Yean (swimming).

Malaysia’s best performer in the Olympic Games so far is Datuk Lee Chong Wei, who have won three silver medals at the 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, 2016 Rio de Janeiro.