THE national tenpin bowling team were awarded a special incentive of RM90,000 from the National Sports Council (MSN) this morning in recognition of their outstanding performance at the International Bowling Federation (IBF) World Cup in Hong Kong earlier this month.
MSN, in a statement, highlighted that the incentive, presented by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, acknowledges the athletes’ achievements despite the World Cup not being listed by the Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC) under the Sports Victory Prize Scheme (SHAKAM).
Natasha Roslan Mohamed, who ended a 53-year drought by becoming the first Malaysian woman to win the individual women’s title at the IBF World Cup, received the highest individual reward of RM20,000.
The women’s team, comprising Natasha, Sin Li Jane, Siti Safiyah Amirah Abdul Rahman, and Gillian Lim, who finished as runners-up in the women’s team event, were collectively awarded RM20,000.
Meanwhile, the men’s team, made up of Muhamad Rafiq Ismail, Ahmad Muaz Fishol, Tun Ameerul Hakim Tun Hasnul Azam, and Timmy Tan, who clinched the gold medal in the men’s team event, shared RM40,000. Muhamad Rafiq also earned an additional RM10,000 for his silver medal in the individual men’s event.
Previously, it was reported that the national team’s stellar performance of securing two golds and two silvers at the World Cup did not qualify for SHAKAM rewards. This was due to MSN’s policy of only allowing incentives for one world-level and one Asian-level championship, with MTBC opting for the World Championships and the Asian Championships.
