PETALING JAYA: A RM20,000 reward and the presence of Rio 2016 Olympic Games silver-medallist Chan Peng Soon are set to spur Johor shuttlers for a smashing show at the Malaysia Games (Sukma).
The Johor Badminton Association (JHBA) will hand out an additional RM10,000 to every gold medallist, matching the RM10,000 incentive offered by the Johor State Sports Council. JHBA president Datuk Chong Juong Chain said the extra reward was not just to spur the players on at Sukma, but also to recognise the time, money and effort they have put into the sport.
“The state government will give RM10,000 and JHBA will also give RM10,000. It may look like a big amount, but a badminton player’s career is short and it is not cheap for them to get to this level. They have spent the last two years training and made a lot of sacrifices. This is the least we can do to show our appreciation for all their hard work,” said Juong Chain.
Johor also had a short training camp with Peng Soon and former SEA Games medallists Peck Yen Wei and Cheah Yee See ahead of Sukma.
Juong Chain said the sessions were useful in helping the players put the finishing touches on their preparations.
“The experience shared by the former national players can help them stay calm and manage themselves better during matches.”
Johor are in Group B of the men’s team event with Sarawak, Federal Territories and Penang and in Group D with Perak in the women’s event.
