Minister’s help sought for retired national athletes

MANY of our former national athletes who are our unsung heroes were caught off-guard when they were told via WhatsApp and registered mail that effective Aug 15, medical services with their normal panel of private hospitals and clinics would be suspended until further notice. They were advised to go to government hospitals.

Many of them are registered with the National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb) whose primary objective is to provide medical treatment, insurance and special aid, among others, to both our present and former athletes.

I am one of them as I am a former 5,000m runner at both national and international competitions. I receive RM500 from the founda- tion’s special allowance scheme.

The transition to a successful retirement is often problematic for many of our national athletes and there have been many reports of them facing financial and emotional ruin.

Except for a handful of elite athletes who won prize money at the highest level of competitions, most of our former sportsmen and women can end their careers without sound financial support. At least 80% end up facing tough health, financial and emotional problems.

It would be commendable for Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman if he stepped in to review the scheme which was set up in 2007 to pro- vide education, career development and entrepreneurship training to our former athletes.

I recently received a number of calls from fellow former international athletes who, having worked in the private sector, do not receive pensions and would be severely affected by Yakeb’s move to halt the normal provision of medical services. Some of them need between RM2,500 and RM20,000 yearly for medical treatment.

A former national long-distance runner who is wheelchair-bound now has to pay his housing loan as well as medical expenses and the burden on him is already evident.

We really hope Syed Saddiq will step in to resolve the financial plight of our unsung heroes who deserve the assistance since they have done service to the nation. C. SATHASIVAM SITHERAVELLU Seremban