PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Basketball Association (Maba) are putting a hefty prize on the line, promising their cagers a serviced apartment and RM50,000 cash if they bring home gold from the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
MABA president Datuk Seri Lee Tian Hock said the apartment in Puchong, worth over RM400,000, will be awarded to each player and coach of the team who can win at the Games from Sept 19-Oct 4.
Tian Hock added that there would also be incentives for winning any colour medal at the Games.
"A bronze medal in Japan will see each player receive RM10,000, while the coach gets double that," said Tian Hock during the flag-handing ceremony yesterday.
"Each player will get RM20,000 for a silver medal, and the coach will get double.
"For a gold medal, each player will get RM50,000 and the coach RM100,000, as well as a serviced apartment in a new development in Puchong."
Malaysia will be sending three teams to compete in Japan, with high hopes on the men’s 3x3 squad, while the women’s team will compete in both the 5x5 and 3x3 events.
"We hope to see at least a medal return from this edition of the Asian Games. We believe the best chance for that to happen is a bronze from the men’s 3x3 event," said Tian Hock.
"The competition will be quite tough in the women’s category, but we hope to see them do their very best."
MABA had previously rewarded their players who won gold at the 2015 and 2017 SEA Games with apartments worth over RM300,000 in Cheras.
"This incentive serves as motivation for our players to aim for a medal when they compete on the international stage," said Tian Hock.
