PETALING JAYA: Para shuttler Cheah Liek Hou has hit out at the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) for delaying the RM60,000 cash incentive promised to him for winning gold at the Paris Paralympics last year.
The 37-year-old, who successfully defended his men’s singles SU5 (upper limb impairment) title, has been left frustrated after not receiving the reward from PCM a year after the Paralympics.
“It’s been a year since the Paris Paralympics, but I have yet to receive the incentive promised,” said Liek Hou via Instagram.
“It feels like they (PCM) scammed me. When they want results, they promise you everything. When we deliver, what do we para-athletes get in return?”
Liek Hou then said in a separate post that the matter only involved PCM and was unrelated to the Youth and Sports Ministry or the National Sports Council (NSC).
He clarified that Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh had ensured the National Sports Incentive Scheme (Shakam) was disbursed to para-athletes a month after the Paris Paralympics ended.
“In fact, our Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh arranged for our Sports Victory Prize Incentive to be given to us just a month after the Games concluded,” said Liek Hou.
PCM president Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman Zaharudin said he would hold a press conference next week to address the matter.
In August last year, Megat had announced that three companies had pledged RM60,000 to each Malaysian gold medallist at the Paris Games.
Silver and bronze medallists were to receive RM30,000 and RM15,000 respectively.
