KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Deaf Sports Association (MSDeaf) needs another RM3 million in funds to organise the fourth edition of the World Deaf Football Championships from September 23 to October 7 this year around the Klang Valley.
MSDeaf president Ong Shin Ruenn said the overall cost of organising the tournament amounts to RM6 million, and that they have so far collected RM3 million through participation fees from competing teams.
“At the moment we do not have any allocation from any party, only half of the cost of the organisation comes from the teams’ participation fees.
“The remaining cost of RM3 million is needed to cover referees, transport and so on,” he said at the MSDeaf with the Media event, here, last night.
Therefore, he hopes that corporate and private companies will come forward to provide the necessary financial assistance to ensure that the tournament can be held.
“We are indeed trying to find sponsors from outside, so we hope private companies will cooperate to make this tournament a success. Companies that are willing to help are also eligible for tax exemptions,” he said.
Malaysia’s deaf men’s football squad have been drawn in Group A with defending champions Turkiye, Egypt and another team to be announced next month.
Twenty-four countries will be participating in the tournament and they have been divided into six groups.
In the meantime, Ong hopes that special funds for the development of deaf sports can be included in the Budget 2023 that will be tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tomorrow.
He said MSDeaf needs RM6 million in funds a year for the development of sports for the deaf since no special allocation was given to them in any previous budget.
The last time the tournament took place was in 2016 in Italy before it was stopped temporarily following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. – Bernama, February 23, 2023
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