ants
03-31-2005, 09:28 PM
TheStar
The badminton players who won medals in the Olympics were overjoyed and grateful to the Government for the decision to award them pension for having brought honour to the country.
Yesterday, Cheah Soon Kit and the Sidek brothers, Jalani and Rashid, said that it was further acknowledgement from the Government for their sacrifices and hardship to strive for excellence.
JALANI SIDEK (bronze medallist in the men's doubles with elder brother Razif): It has been more than a decade and I never thought that we would get pension for being Olympic medallists. I was proved wrong today and I appreciate the Government’s sincerity in giving back to the athletes what they brought back to the country. This is certainly a great recognition for players like me. The pension will be helpful for athletes who are no longer representing the country.
CHEAH SOON KIT (silver medallist in the men's doubles with Yap Kim Hock): It is a proud moment for five of us. Now that there is this scheme, the athletes will put more heart into what they do. They will be more focused in training. They do not have to worry about what is going to happen after they quit the sport if they become the best in their respective fields.
RASHID SIDEK (bronze medallist in the men's singles): I am touched. I am truly grateful to the Government for recognising all my sacrifices, which I thought have been long forgotten. So far, we have won a silver and two bronze medals in the Olympics. This noble move by the Government should inspire the current batch of athletes to go all out for the first gold. They now know that if they do well, their future will be well taken care of.
The badminton players who won medals in the Olympics were overjoyed and grateful to the Government for the decision to award them pension for having brought honour to the country.
Yesterday, Cheah Soon Kit and the Sidek brothers, Jalani and Rashid, said that it was further acknowledgement from the Government for their sacrifices and hardship to strive for excellence.
JALANI SIDEK (bronze medallist in the men's doubles with elder brother Razif): It has been more than a decade and I never thought that we would get pension for being Olympic medallists. I was proved wrong today and I appreciate the Government’s sincerity in giving back to the athletes what they brought back to the country. This is certainly a great recognition for players like me. The pension will be helpful for athletes who are no longer representing the country.
CHEAH SOON KIT (silver medallist in the men's doubles with Yap Kim Hock): It is a proud moment for five of us. Now that there is this scheme, the athletes will put more heart into what they do. They will be more focused in training. They do not have to worry about what is going to happen after they quit the sport if they become the best in their respective fields.
RASHID SIDEK (bronze medallist in the men's singles): I am touched. I am truly grateful to the Government for recognising all my sacrifices, which I thought have been long forgotten. So far, we have won a silver and two bronze medals in the Olympics. This noble move by the Government should inspire the current batch of athletes to go all out for the first gold. They now know that if they do well, their future will be well taken care of.