SportSPORTCHECK: Double assurance

New Straits Times » Vijesh Rai Feb 24:
More than 100 percent increase in allowances and security of job upon retirement

AN increase of more than 100 percent in allowances and the security of a job upon retirement.Those were Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman Said's two assurances given to the 138 elite athletes under the Gemilang 2006 Project in a dialogue at the National Sports Council on Tuesday.Currently, the allowances vary from RM100 to RM500 but with the Cabinet Committee having endorsed a proposal to increase the amount, the elite athletes can expect more than double monthly.More importantly, Azalina's assurance that employment will be available upon their retirement as athletes will surely help erase fears over their future."The minister told the athletes that Datuk Seri Najib Razak (Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of the Cabinet Committee for Sports) had endorsed a recommendation that the allowances be raised," said Gemilang 2006 Steering Committee chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ibrahim Saad yesterday."Datuk Seri Najib supported the recommendation simply because the current allowances are too little."For an elite athlete based at the Bukit Jalil Sports School, the allowance is RM100, a university athlete receives RM200 while an unemployed athlete is paid RM500 a month."The figures haven't been finalised but the athletes were assured that there would be an increase of more than 100 percent."Azalina, said Ibrahim, also took the opportunity to allay the fears of athletes that they will be left in the wilderness upon retirement."We are talking to city councils, municipal councils and other Government agencies to provide permanent jobs to the athletes."We are not only talking about the present but also the future. The Sports Minister has spoken to 12, 13 Government-linked companies, city councils and municipal councils."For starters, unemployed athletes in the programme will be offered employment with the councils. We understand that athletes worry about their futures and steps are being taken to ensure their livelihood."The jobs that we are talking about will be on a permanent basis and the athletes will have the option of continuing to work even after they retire."The allowance increase and job assurance come on the heels of a pension scheme announced by Najib after the Cabinet Committee meeting last Monday.Najib announced then that a pension scheme would be introduced for Olympic Games medallists. Although he didn't announce the quantum, it is learnt that a gold medallist will be paid a monthly pension of RM2,000, a silver medallist RM1,500 and RM1,000 for a bronze medallist.The future certainly looks brighter for the athletes, and Malaysian sports now.