Sie Yan, Welson, Thavanesvaran and Nur Azlia emerge biggest winners
KUALA LUMPUR: Rhythmic gymnast Koi Sie Yan, swimmer Welson Sim and para athletes S. Thavanesvaran (athletics) and Nur Azlia Syafinaz Mohd Zais (cycling) emerged with the biggest smiles at the presentation of cash incentives to winners of the recent Kuala Lumpur SEA Games and Asean Para Games.
The 18-year-old Sie Yan received RM49,500 for winning four golds and two silvers in rhythmic gymnastics at the KL SEA Games in August.
The Bukit Jalil Sports School pre-university student hurt her ankle a month before the Games began but it did not stop her from defending the individual all-around gold.
She also steered the team to their first gold medal in 10 years together with Izzah Amzan, Chong Lok Yi and Amy Kwan Dict Weng.
Sie Yan also nailed two gold medals in hoop and clubs but settled for silvers in ribbon and ball.
“I have not stopped training after the SEA Games as I have to prepare for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games next April.
“I want to win a medal in my Commonwealth Games debut,” said Sie Yan, who was also named the Best Sportsgirl for Bukit Jalil Sports School yesterday.
Sarawak-born Welson not only met the target of delivering gold medals in the men’s 200m and 400m freestyles but he also set new SEA Games records at the KL SEA Games.
The 20-year-old Welson, who also took bronze in men’s 4x200m freestyle relay, received a total of RM33,000.
Thavanesvaran collected RM40,750 for his feat in taking three golds and one silver at the KL Asean Para Games in September.
The 18-year-old, who is from Segamat and was born with deformed feet, won the 100m, 200m and 400m T44 categories.
Woman para cyclist Nur Azlia showed that it pays to excel in sporting endeavours despite being born blind.
The 16-year-old, who only took up the sport this year after winning a reality programme to find new talents for para cycling, received the biggest amount of RM53,000 for winning four golds and one silver at the KL Asean Para Games.
Nur Azlia came out tops in the women’s B 1km time trial, 4km individual pursuit and sprint in the track para cycling at the National Velodrome in Nilai, Negri Sembilan.
She and her pilot Noraidillina Adilla took silver in the road time trial but Nur Azlia ended the Games on a high by picking up her fourth gold in the road race in Putrajaya.
The incentives were not only given out to just the winners but also to the silver and bronze medallists for both the KL SEA Games and KL Asean Para Games by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil last night.
A total of RM3,543,750 and RM1,891,000 were handed out to the medallists of both the KL SEA Games and KL Asean Para Games.
Malaysia emerged as overall champions at the KL SEA Games with 144 golds, 92 silvers and 86 bronzes. The nation finished runners-up at the KL Asean Para Games with 90 golds, 85 silvers and 84 bronzes.