SEA Games: Rewards for gold

PUTRAJAYA: It was a huge payout for the swimmers and divers. But rhythmic gymnast Chrystal Lim emerged as the biggest individual winner of the rewards given out under the athlete incentive scheme for the SEA Games in Korat last month.

A total of RM376,000 were handed out to gold medallists of the Games in a glittering ceremony in Putrajaya yesterday.

Attending the function in appreciation of the efforts of the national athletes were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Only gold medallists get rewarded under the scheme at the SEA Games level and Chrystal's four-gold medal performance earned her RM16,250.

Chrystal won three of the four individual finals – rope, clubs and ribbon. The 19-year-old was also part of the gold medal-winning, who include Foong Seow Ting, Wan Siti Haniza Wan Izahar and Jaime Lee Yoke Jeng.

She is the third Malaysian to win four gold medals in SEA Games rhythmic gymnastics after Durratun Nashihin Rosli (2003 Hanoi) and Seow Ting (2005 Manila).

And her outstanding performance in Korat is something to cherish forever. Chrystal has decided to quit the sport to concentrate on her studies.

“I had never won a SEA Games gold medal prior to this and I never expect to do so in Korat.

“I will be going for further studies and the money will definitely help me in my studies,” said Chrystal, who is keen to pursue a career in graphic design.

The other big winners were equestrian rider Mohd Qabil Ambak Mohd Fathil and diver Yeoh Ken Nee – taking home RM12,500 each.

Qabil was the individual gold medallist for Malaysia in dressage and show jumping. He was also part of the Malaysian winning team in both disciplines.

Ken Nee became the first diver to achieve a sweep of all three springboard gold medals in a SEA Games diving competition. He won the 1m and 3m individual springboard events and partnered Rossharisham Roslan to victory in the synchronised competition.

Swimmers Daniel Bego and Khoo Cai Lin also received handsome rewards – RM12,000 each for their Games record-breaking feats. Besides the RM5,000 for a gold, both swimmers also collected an additional RM1,000 for each record broken.

Daniel retained his 200m freestyle and 100m butterfly titles while Cai Lin stamped her marks in the 400m and 800m freestyle.

Altogether, aquatics emerged as the biggest medal contributor for Malaysia with a total of 14 gold medals and their athletes were rewarded with a total of RM74,000.

The next big winners were the karate exponents, who took home a total of RM40,000. Karate contributed eight gold medals, doubling the target set for them by the National Sports Council.

Asian Championships gold medallist Lim Yoke Wai was the biggest winner for karate.

He received RM10,000 for winning the individual and Open events, the first exponent to do so at a SEA Games competition.

The Star

Wen Chean, Qabil paling lumayan

LUMAYAN: Crystal Lim (kiri) dan Qabil memperaga repllika cek yang disampaikan Perdana Menteri di PICC, petang semalam.

KEJAYAAN memenangi empat emas � tiga acara individu dan satu acara berpasukan � di Sukan Sea XXIV Korat 2007 memberi habuan besar buat ratu gimnastik berirama Crystal Lim Wen Chen apabila mendapat sejumlah RM16,250 di bawah Skim Hadiah Kemenangan Sukan (Shakam).

Crystal adalah seorang daripada 137 atlit negara yang mendapat habuan masing-masing atas kejayaan menyumbangkan pingat emas di temasya serantau itu daripada Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dalam satu majlis penghargaan gilang gemilang kerajaan Malaysia di Pusat Konvensyen Antarabangsa Putrajaya (PICC), semalam.

Turut hadir isteri Perdana Menteri Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah, Timbalan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dan Menteri Belia dan Sukan Datuk Seri Azalina Aziz.

Crystal memenangi emas dalam disiplin riben, tali dan gelung serta berpasukan dengan setiap emas individu bernilai RM5,000 dan berkongsi RM1,250 bagi kemenangan dalam berpasukan gimrama.

Selain Crystal, turut menerima habuan besar ialah jaguh ekuestrian, Mohd Qabil Ambak Mahamad Fathil yang mendapat RM12,500 berbekal kejayaan memenangi empat emas � dua individu dan dua berpasukan � dalam acara showjumping dan dressage.

Ia kejayaan cemerlang buat Qabil kerana memenangi emas dalam semua acara yang disertainya, sekali gus mengekalkan pencapaian terbaiknya dalam temasya itu.

Turut berkongsi nilai kemenangan sama ialah jaguh terjun Yeoh Ken Nee, yang menyumbangkan dua emas individu dan satu berpasukan dalam acara terjun berirama.

Dua perenang, Khoo Chai Lin dan Daniel Bego juga tidak terkecuali daripada menikmati habuan lumayan hasil daripada kecemerlangan mereka di Korat apabila masing-masing menyumbangkan dua emas serta berjaya memecahkan rekod kebangsaan masing-masing yang memberikan keseluruhan RM12,000.

Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) menyediakan sejumlah RM376,000 untuk pembayaran Shakam dengan atlit akuatik iaitu renang dan terjun mendapat habuan terbesar iaitu RM74,000, karate-do (RM40,000), olahraga (RM36,000) dan gimnastik (artistik dan gimrama) RM30,000.

Pada Sukan Sea XXIV Disember lalu, kontinjen Malaysia membawa pulang sejumlah 68 emas, sekali gus membolehkan mereka menamatkan saingan di tempat kedua keseluruhan di belakang tuan rumah Thailand, pencapaian kedua terbaik dalam sejarah temasya ini.

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