KUALA LUMPUR: The national basketball squad can expect handsome rewards if they win medals at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia.
Malaysian Basketball Association (MABA) president, Datuk Seri Lee Tian Hock said the reward initiative was an effort to motivate about 40 cagers and MABA officials to win medals at the biennial games.
“I have my own incentives for the players if they get a medal, the incentives are the same as last year in Vietnam, if they get gold each player and official will get RM50,000, the coaches RM100,000.
“If silver medal (the reward) is RM20,000, for the coach RM40,000, bronze RM10,000 and the coach RM20,000, this reward is for both events contested, only for the 3X3 event the coach will get the same as the players,” he said at the Jalur Gemilang (national flag) handover ceremony and the announcement of the line ups of the national basketball teams to the Cambodia SEA Games here today.
The women’s team previously only brought home a bronze medal at the biennial games in Hanoi last year and the players were rewarded RM10,000 by Tian Hock.
The women’s team will open their campaign in the 3×3 event in Group B against the hosts Cambodia, Indonesia and Singapore on May 6.
For the main team contest, they have been drawn in Group A and will meet Cambodia (May 9), Singapore (May 10), Indonesia (May 11), Vietnam (May 12), Thailand (May 13) and the Philippines on May 15.
Meantime, the men’s team are drawn in Group B in the 3×3 and will meet Singapore, Thailand and Cambodia on May 6.
As for the main team contest, they will start their campaign in Group A against the Philippines on May 9 followed by Singapore on May 11 before closing the group stage against Cambodia on May 13.
Meanwhile, Tian Hock said the national squad will not use the services of naturalised players because the matter requires several procedures before getting permission from the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS).
He said he had raised the matter up with Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeaoh and hoped the government would give the nod on this matter.
“We don’t have a high aim this year because we know our weaknesses, our basketball (teams) needs players who are tall,” he said. – BERNAMA
