JASIN, Melaka athletes who win medals at the Malaysia Games (SUKMA) 2024 in Sarawak will be rewarded by the Melaka government, with a gold medallist getting RM5,000, according to a state executive councillor. State Youth Development, Sports and Non-Governmental Organisations Committee chairman VP Shanmugam said a silver medal is worth RM3,000 and a bronze, RM1,500 under the state government incentive scheme. "This incentive aims to boost the morale of competing athletes to showcase their best performance, while also appreciating their efforts and hard work. "We have also been informed that medallists have the opportunity to receive additional rewards from their sponsors and respective agencies, with the amount to be determined by them," he told reporters here today. Earlier, he received the Melaka contingent's flag for SUKMA 2024 from Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh during the July 2024 state government monthly assembly and Meet the People Day at Dewan Alamanda Jasin. Shanmugam said Melaka will b e sending 420 athletes and 197 officials, with the first group departing for Sarawak on Aug 10 for training and early competitions. He added that they remain optimistic about achieving the 20-gold target despite fielding some new faces in the games. "For example, wushu, which has been a gold mine for Melaka, is offering 25 gold medals this year, and we are sending 18 athletes, eight of whom are new faces. We believe in their ability to bring medals to Melaka. "Although each athlete can only compete in one event this time, we are confident that wushu can still contribute gold medals, and we believe that the new category being contested this year, the sanda event, will also bring in gold," he said. Meanwhile, Melaka State Sports Council (SSC) director Asri Ninggal said Melaka athletes are all set for the biennial games and free from any serious injuries. "We are also collaborating with a physiotherapy and rehabilitation centre in the state to provide treatment for injured athletes, with all costs fully cov ered by Melaka SSC," he said. Source: BERNAMA News Agency