KUALA LUMPUR – Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria is hoping that more funds will be allocated to build badminton facilities for public participation.
“The government should provide easy access to these facilities for the public so that more people can play badminton,” he told Scoop when contacted.
Norza, who is also Olympic Council of Malaysia president, is also hopeful that the upcoming Budget 2024 presentation in the Dewan Rakyat on Friday will allocate more funds for grassroots programmes, with the aim of unearthing new talent nationwide.
He explained that additional funding would enable BAM to extend support to state associations, enabling them to independently initiate and sustain their programmes, ultimately strengthening the badminton ecosystem.
Beyond that, he is calling for financial incentives to alleviate the financial burden on parents, who often face substantial expenses when equipping their children for sports.
Recognising the costs involved, he urged the government to consider implementing more tax deductions to ease the financial strain on parents.
Last month, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh launched the Rahmah Sports Sale initiative, which involved 10 sports retailers offering sporting goods at affordable prices.
The initiative, launched on Malaysia Day last month and running until Sunday, aims to make sports equipment more accessible to the public.
Notably, Norza expressed his support for granting incentives to all parents who purchase sports equipment for their children.
“I would recommend the government extend tax deductions to the parents who buy sporting equipment for their children as this could provide them with valuable financial relief,” he added.
Currently, the government has already provided a tax break of up to RM2,500 for the purchase of sporting equipment for individuals, their spouses or children as part of its commitment to promoting sports and physical activity in the country. — October 11, 2023