GEORGE TOWN – To motivate young athletes to excel academically, a total of RM730,000 has been contributed by the Penang state government and private corporations from December last year to November this year.
According to state sports exco, Soon Lip Chee, monetary incentives such as these are crucial especially during the pandemic as subsistence costs have risen but the income rate in families may be badly affected.
This is one of the reasons why Soon founded the Penang Athlete Career & Education on August 1.
This time around, 25 athletes will be receiving a one-off aid ranging from RM50 per “A” scored in the Sijil Peperiksaan Malaysia (SPM) examinations while two persons will receive RM100 per “A” scored in the Sijil Tinggi Peperiksaan Malaysia (STPM) examinations.
The total incentive allocated for this is RM9,550.
Under the higher education incentive assistance, 20 qualified athletes will receive aid totalling RM17,100 to fund their education in relevant colleges and universities.
For the sports scholarship assistance, an additional 15 recipients will receive a total allocation of RM74,800 to fund their studies at higher education institutions.
“I hope that with these incentives to aid in their education, they will continue to be active in the sports arena at higher learning institutions. Both are important.
“We do not only offer support in terms of education, but we are also looking at their welfare through scholarships.
“I would like to extend my thanks to all who have contributed, especially the three new corporate contributors; Frank Group of Companies, Jin Huo and Gold Jewellery Industries (M) Sdn Bhd and Bold-Pack industries Sdn Bhd,” he said in his speech at a cheque presentation ceremony at Komtar today.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who was also in attendance, hopes that state athletes will be able to instil high determination to perform, not only for themselves but for the sports industry as a whole.
He said that the state has paved its own path when it comes to encouraging development and providing welfare to athletes because of its unwavering commitment to stimulate success in the future.
Chow believes that the number of scholarships and allocation for it will continue to increase in the future as the state continues to spur sports development. – The Vibes, November 8, 2021
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