KUALA LUMPUR – In the spirit of Deepavali, the National Sports Council (NSC), in collaboration with the National Athletes’ Welfare Foundation (Yakeb) and Fraser & Neave Holdings Berhad (F&N), delivered aid to former national athletes in the Klang Valley and Penang areas.
The recipients included former wheelchair racer M. Balle, para table tennis player V. David, and former track and field athlete Saravanan Govindasamy, who now resides in Penang.
This collaborative program also extended support to current athletes, including karate exponent Geerijaieswaran Pillai Sivanesan, Boccia player R. Vikneswaran, and bodybuilder L. Palavendiran.
“I’m grateful and hope that gestures like this can ease our burden as we prepare to celebrate Deepavali,” Saravanan shared in a statement released today.
Expressing his appreciation, Balle said, “Thank you to NSC and 100Plus for easing our load as we head home to celebrate Deepavali with family.”
Yakeb chairman Datuk Noorul Ariffin Abdul Majeed encouraged more private companies to extend their support to current and former athletes who may be struggling financially, emphasising that these athletes have made significant sacrifices for Malaysia.
Representing F&N, event management and sponsorship manager Muhd Fauzi Ahmad affirmed the company’s commitment to supporting NSC and Yakeb in easing the burdens of Malaysia’s athletes, both past and present, who have given so much to the nation. — October 31, 2024