KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 — The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) will allocate RM10 million next year for the Para Podium programme, which covers aid as well as the participation and preparation of athletes for local and international competitions.
Minister Hannah Yeoh said the allocation will support para athletes competing in 36 international events and 34 domestic competitions next year under the ministry’s high-performing sports programme.
She said recent trends also indicate a significant rise in the participation of para athletes in sporting events, including the Malaysia Games (Sukma), noting that Sarawak is a prime example of a state actively investing in para sports development.
“Based on the Sukma 2024 records in Sarawak, 1,265 para athletes from across the country competed, with the host contingent registering the highest participation at 213 athletes.
“When comparing Sukma 2022 and Sukma 2024, we recorded a 64 per cent increase in para athlete participation,” she said during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Negara today.
She was responding to a question from Senator Isaiah Jacob about allocations provided to people with disabilities for international and domestic sporting events in 2026.
Yeoh said that last year, the National Sports Council assumed responsibility for managing the preparation of para athletes, taking over the role previously held by the state Persons with Disabilities Development Departments and state sports councils.
The takeover, she said, was necessary as para athletes under high-performing programmes need development and training approaches comparable to international competitive sports, while the Persons with Disabilities Development Department can focus on promoting sports as an element of well-being and an active lifestyle for the group.
