PETALING JAYA – The National Athletes’ Welfare Foundation (Yakeb) hopes a “solid budget” will be allocated to the foundation when the revised Budget 2023 is tabled in Parliament on Friday.
Its chairman Datuk Noorul Ariffin Abdul Majeed said the budget it previously received of RM5 million – including a plot of land and a building – was a laudable decision by the government as it helped the foundation coordinate better assistance to former national athletes in various aspects.
Noorul Ariffin, however, noted that it did not ask for anything specific from current Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, but is hopeful she would make the best decision.
“YB (Yeoh) has been very concerned with our situation and the welfare of former national athletes.
“We are not asking for anything else, but only to hope that she is aware of what Yakeb has been doing all these years.
“For example, most recently we are trying to help ailing national golf great M. Ramayah, who has been bedridden and is being treated at a hospital in Kuala Lumpur. It requires a high expenditure.
“So, we really hope that a solid budget can be considered for Yakeb this time around so that we can help more former athletes. I am sure Hannah will make the best decision,” he said.
Noorul Ariffin was met at the Media Tenpin Bowling Tournament 2023 jointly organised by the Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM) and Yakeb, which took place recently at Sunway Pyramid, here.
Hannah officiated the event by bowling a ball at the bowling alley after greeting all participants.
The inaugural event saw 108 participants from 27 teams, 22 of which are SAM members consisting of journalists, cameramen, and photographers.
The rest were sponsors from Milo, Andro Plus Caffe, as well as the National Sports Institute (NSI) and Youth and Sports Ministry.
The NSI, comprising Mohd Redzuan Mohd Zol, Mohd Rafi Hasim, Razif Sazali, and Asnidar Nor Abd Rahim, claimed the best team title with 1,049 total pin drops.
The National Sports Council, represented by Mohd Yazid Shoib, Nurul Ain Othman, Syazana Aqilah Lokman, and Siti Sapinah Hussein, emerged as runners-up with 1,026 pin drops.
Third place went to The Star, comprising Ahmad Izzrafiq Alias, Faihan Ghani, Kamarul Ariffin, and Rozaidah Hamid after successfully landing 1,008 pins. – The Vibes, February 23, 2023
