KUALA LUMPUR – National rugby players can now shift their focus towards the upcoming Asia Rugby Sevens Series finale in Bangkok, Thailand, this weekend after the Malaysian Rugby Union cleared all their outstanding allowance payments.
Speaking to Scoop, Malaysia Rugby president Amir Amri Mohamad said that he hopes the players will give their best this weekend as the financial issue has been sorted.
It is understood that Amir had personally forked out RM30,000 of his own money to settle the players’ unpaid allowances, which had accumulated since last September.
This issue of unpaid allowances arose due to administrative bureaucracy in processing claims, and Malaysia Rugby had already informed the players about the situation.
“I’ve resolved the issue, and my hope is that they’ll perform well. As I mentioned before when I took on the role of president, I’m committed to the welfare of our players, and I don’t want this issue to arise again.
“I also need to thank all the exco members who helped me resolve this issue,” said Amir when contacted.
Despite the financial issues, the squad led by Nik Safuan Ismade delivered commendable performances.
In Incheon, they reached the Plate final but fell to Thailand, finishing in sixth place overall.
However, in the next series in Hangzhou last September, the Bunga Raya squad bounced back by winning the Plate final, defeating the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Following these two series, Malaysia currently stands fifth overall with nine points.
Also competing in this series are Hong Kong, China, and Japan, who are vying for two spots in the World Challenger Series, and Singapore, which sits at the bottom of the standings. – November 7, 2024