KUALA LUMPUR – The government’s allocation of RM289 million in Budget 2022 − tabled earlier today by Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz − to the Youth and Sports Ministry marks a significant decline from the RM940,580,900 allocated in Budget 2021.
Out of that allocation, RM10 million will be afforded to the National Sports Council (NSC) to implement the Para Sports League and develop training programmes for para-athletes.
In a broader context, RM159 million will be used to build, upgrade and maintain sports facilities throughout the country.
This allocation will also be channelled towards the construction of a multi-sports stadium in Bukit Merbau, Pasir Puteh, Kelantan, which comes equipped with a hockey field, shooting range and aquatic centre.
To encourage the rakyat to pursue an active lifestyle in line with the nation’s post-pandemic recovery, the government has allocated RM50 million to implement active lifestyle programmes in line with the Fit Forever movement and the National Sports Day event.
When it comes to youths, the e-sports phenomenon is widely seen as having the best prospects for sports development within the country.
To boost its growth, RM20 million has been allocated in Budget 2022 for the development of e-sports, including RM5 million to create a Centre of Excellence for drone sports.
“I’m very happy that our e-sports athletes have managed to achieve outstanding results in Romania recently,” said Zafrul.
In recognition of achievements from internationally-acclaimed e-sports athletes, such as NothingToSay, xNova, Mushi and Oli, the government intends to provide tax exemption on prize money from eligible e-sports tournaments.
“Success like this is proof that our country has young talents that require our support.”
As one of the industries affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the ban on certain sporting activities has had a considerable impact on many sports facility operators, who have had to face numerous challenges trying to restart their business.
To relieve the financial burden of entrepreneurs, Bank Simpanan Nasional intends to provide funding of up to RM50 million with 0% interest for the first six months along with a six-month moratorium. – The Vibes, October 29, 2021
