VACCINATION DATE FOR TOKYO-BOUND
Olympics and Paralympics athletes and officials to get Covid-19 jabs next week
ATHLETES bound for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will start receiving their Covid-19 vaccination jabs beginning next week. Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) president Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin disclosed that essential officials involved in the games will also begin receiving their doses alongside the athletes.
“We have received feedback from the National Sports Institute (NSI), and from what I understand, the first doses for athletes and officials, including the (Sports) Minister, will begin on April 13,” said Shahriman.
“Athletes will receive the jabs at NSI (Bukit Jalil) or a centre in Cheras. We are expecting more details on April 10.
“This will only comprise athletes and officials who will be involved in the Tokyo Games. I believe the Sports Ministry, the National Sports Council (NSC) and the NSI will be providing more details later.”
The Sports Ministry recently disclosed that they are hoping to have 264 athletes and officials heading to Tokyo inoculated by June.
In January, Timesport had urged the government to place Olympic-bound athletes on the Covid-19 vaccination priority list.
The Sports Ministry had then proposed the idea to the National Security Council for consideration.
Meanwhile, Colonel (Rtd) Nor Azam
Ariffin has been appointed as Chef de Mission (CDM) for the Vietnam Asean Para Games in December.
Azam is a former national para-badminton player who has also served as secretary-general of the Asean Para Sports Federation (APSF), executive council member of PCM and para-badminton committee member with BA of Malaysia (BAM).
Shahriman added that the CDM for the Tokyo Paralympics will be announced by the Sports Ministry soon.
Shahriman was speaking after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on behalf of PCM with ReGen Rehabilitation International Sdn Bhd in Petaling Jaya yesterday.
The cooperation between the two parties will see both current and former national para-athletes receiving access to high-quality rehabilitation care as part of ReGen’s corporate social responsibility initiative.