Selangor To Standardise Incentives For Para And Able-Bodied Athletes
SHAH ALAM, Feb 10 (Bernama) -- The Selangor state government intends to standardise the incentives for winners in the Para Malaysia Games (Para SUKMA) with able-bodied athletes to strengthen the high-performance sports ecosystem while empowering the welfare of athletes with special needs ahead of the Para SUKMA 2026.
State Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneurship Exco Mohd Najwan Halimi said this intention aligns with the state government's approach to standardise access to training, performance development, and welfare for Para SUKMA athletes to ensure they are on par with able-bodied athletes.
“We (the state government) have determined that victory incentives for Para SUKMA athletes will be equal to those received by SUKMA athletes. We want to ensure there is no discrimination in terms of rewards.
“In the 2024 Sarawak SUKMA, every gold medalist received RM10,000, and moving forward, Para SUKMA athletes will also receive the same rate. The latest incentive values will be announced in the near future," he told reporters at the Dewan Raja Muda Musa, Section 7, here today.
The Chairman of the Selangor 2026 SUKMA and Para SUKMA stated that this measure is aimed, among other things, at ending the stigma against para-athletes and elevating their dignity as high-performance athletes who contribute to the state's achievements at the national level.
In the same development, Mohd Najwan informed that SUKMA volunteer registration, which opened less than 72 hours ago, has attracted interest from approximately 18,000 individuals as of noon today, far exceeding the initial target of 5,000 people.
He said the sharp increase reflects the high interest of the community, especially the youth, to be involved as volunteers for the hosting of the Selangor 2026 SUKMA and Para SUKMA.
“We will coordinate placements according to locality requirements and sporting branches, as some sports recorded very high interest while others remain low.
"The secretariat will conduct a review of the requirements to ensure a more balanced distribution of volunteers, in addition to providing training modules and appropriate incentives for those selected," he said.
He stressed that volunteer participation covers both the SUKMA and Para SUKMA games, with management handled in a planned manner to guarantee smooth operations and a high-standard hosting experience.
Earlier, Mohd Najwan officiated the Launching Ceremony of the Selangor Road To Champion Para SUKMA 2026 programme and the Presentation of the Letter of Appointment for the Selangor Para SUKMA Contingent, witnessed by 141 para-athletes including 10 team managers and 17 coaches.
At the same time, Kampung Tunku Assemblyman (ADUN) Lim Yi Wei was appointed as the Chef de Mission for Para SUKMA 2026, followed by Shah Alam Mayor Datuk Mohd Fauzi Mohd Yatim and Sepang Municipal Council President Dr. Ani Ahmad as Deputy Chef de Mission (I) and (II).
The Para SUKMA 2026 is scheduled to take place around the Klang and Petaling districts from Sept 5 to 10 next year, offering 316 gold medals across 316 events with 10 types of sports hosted.
-- BERNAMA
