Ikhlas Com Travel & Umrah Sdn Bhd (ikhlas.com) has expanded its sponsored umrah programme to enable former national athletes to fulfil their aspiration of performing the pilgrimage.
KUALA LUMPUR: Ikhlas Com Travel & Umrah Sdn Bhd (ikhlas.com) has expanded its sponsored umrah programme to enable former national athletes to fulfil their aspiration of performing the pilgrimage in recognition of their contributions to Malaysian sports.
A total of 18 former athletes, all members of the National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb), have been selected for the programme. Seven of them are fully sponsored by Universiti Teknologi MARA’s (UiTM) Faculty of Sports Science and Recreation (FSSR), with support from the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS).
Ikhlas.com chief executive officer Ikhlas Kamarudin said the company was honoured to be entrusted by Yakeb, UiTM and MAIS to organise the pilgrimage for the former athletes.
“We hope this initiative will pave the way for more collaborations with various organisations, enabling us to support more deserving individuals, such as former athletes who have sacrificed so much in service of the nation, in fulfilling their dream of performing umrah,” he said.
The first group of five pilgrims departed from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 2 for Jeddah on July 13 and are currently in Madinah.
They comprise former national Paralympic track and field athlete Rahim Yusoff, former national wheelchair tennis player Azman Hasan, former Paralympic athlete Fatimah Daud, former national hockey player Rohaya Razali and former national silat exponent Rosmadi Abdul Rahim.
The remaining participants are scheduled to depart on July 26.
Rahim, who was born without both hands, described the pilgrimage as a lifelong dream that had finally become a reality.
“I am deeply grateful because this is my first opportunity to perform umrah. The moment ikhlas.com contacted me, I immediately began making preparations. I believe this is truly Allah SWT’s blessing.
“Allah tests each of us in different ways. My test is my physical disability, but we must remain resilient and patient because every trial carries wisdom,” he said.
Rahim represented Malaysia in athletics, competing in the 100m, 200m, high jump and long jump before retiring in 2003 after representing the country at the Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Since retiring from competitive sports, he has earned a living as a tailor, cattle farmer and home-based salted egg entrepreneur.
Azman, who pioneered Malaysia’s wheelchair tennis programme and achieved a career-high world ranking of ninth, said persons with disabilities should take the initiative to integrate into society.
“Persons with disabilities should not wait for society to come forward and help them. Instead, they must have the courage to step forward, integrate into society and demonstrate what they are capable of,” he said.
Although he scaled back his competitive career in 2018, Azman continues to contribute to sports development by mentoring aspiring athletes.
Ikhlas.com said the programme was intended not only to help former national athletes perform umrah but also to recognise their resilience, perseverance and service to the country.
Members of the public who wish to support underprivileged pilgrims may contribute to the Umrah 1000 Asnaf Sadaqah Fund through the official ikhlas.com website.
Established in 2020, ikhlas.com is Capital A’s Islamic digital platform offering umrah and Muslim-friendly travel services, as well as Shariah-compliant services including zakat, qurban, aqiqah, sadaqah and fidyah.
