Paralympians are already champions, no need for special programme: Hannah

SHAH ALAM – Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh believes that there is no need to create a special programme similar to the Road to Gold (RTG) programme for Paralympians, as they have made winning gold medals at the Paralympics a habit.

Hannah said that her ministry is more focused on developing additional programmes to identify and nurture more backup athletes to win medals for the country in prestigious tournaments in the years to come.

“RTG was specifically designed for able-bodied athletes, providing them with the necessary support to help us secure the elusive gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“However, there is no need to create a similar programme for para athletes, as they have already won several gold medals at various Paralympic events on multiple occasions. But we are ensuring that, at the backup athlete level, we are not waiting until we run out of talent.

“This year, I have already instructed the National Sports Council (NSC) to work hard in creating more exposure and programmes to identify para talent, and that is our priority at the moment.

“This is also to ensure that we do not always have to rely on the same athletes to win medals for our country, and we need to make sure that we deliver new talent as well,” Hannah told reporters after the Chery cars presentation ceremony with national para athletes in Shah Alam today.

Meanwhile, Chery Malaysia rewarded Paris Paralympic medallists Cheah Liek Hou, Bonnie Bunyau Gustin, and Ziyad Zolkefli with cars sold at a heavily discounted price.

At the same time, on behalf of the athletes, Hannah expressed gratitude towards Chery Malaysia for recognising the Paralympians and offering discounts on car purchases.

“On behalf of the athletes, we would like to thank the private sector for collaborating with the government to appreciate the contributions of our country’s athletes,” Hannah added.

Chery Malaysia offers a 50 per cent discount to Paralympic gold medallists, while those who reach the semi-finals are given a 30 per cent discount.

SU5 category men’s singles badminton player Liek Hou, who successfully defended his gold medal at the Paris Paralympics last year, chose the aqua green Chery Omoda E5 fully electric model, worth approximately RM146,800.

Meanwhile, Ziyad, who won silver in the men’s shot put T20 category at the Paris Paralympics, selected the Chery Omoda 5 model, which is priced starting at RM99,800. – January 21, 2025