Good partners: Nestle (M) Bhd executive director, group corporate affairs for Malaysia and Singapore Raja Nurmaria Murni Raja Nur Azmi (right) presenting the Maba-Milo Partnership award to Maba president Datuk Seri Lee Tian Hock (left) and witnessed by Transport Minister Anthony Loke during the annual dinner in Kuala Lumpur.— IZZRAFIQ ALIAS
PETALING JAYA: It sounds too good to be true but the Malaysian Basketball Association (MABA) are offering a massive reward for the national men’s and women’s squads if they win a gold medal at the Thailand SEA Games in December.
MABA president Datuk Seri Lee Tian Hock said each player will receive a condominium unit worth RM330,000 if they end the wait to win gold since the women’s squad last achieved it in the 2017 edition in Kuala Lumpur.
He said the incentive serves as motivation for the players, as well as an appreciation of their hard work and sacrifices to bring glory to the country.
“If our men’s and women’s teams manage to bring home gold, each player will receive a condominium unit worth RM330,000 in Cheras apart from cash incentives.
“This is our highest appreciation for the players who gave everything for the country,” he said during a press conference after the MABA annual dinner on Monday.
The condominium offered is complete with two bedrooms with an estimated more than 700 square feet, located in a strategic area with modern facilities.
The women’s squad managed to win bronze in the 2023 edition in Cambodia and each player received RM10,000.
Meanwhile, Tian Hock predicted that this year’s SEA Games will be a more intense affair with several countries such as the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia expected to feature naturalised players, mostly from the United States.
“MABA are also seeking approval to naturalise two male players and one female player for the 3X3 and 5X5 teams. Without naturalised players, it will be difficult to compete because basketball requires height and physical strength,” he said.
The two male players who are in the process of being naturalised are Tychique Bosango from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Joseph Obasa from Nigeria while female player Aalia Carlson is of mixed Malaysian-American blood.
