NATIONAL badminton men’s doubles player, Aaron Chia’s bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was rewarded with a RM50,000 contribution by the Malacca government today. 

State youth development and sports committee chairman Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen hopes this will motivate of all Malacca-born athletes to achieve excellence on the international stage. 

“This success is a source of pride for the state government and the State Sports Council. In addition to the RM50,000 the state government will also contribute another RM3,000 for making it to the Olympics. 

“The Malacca government would like to congratulate and thank Chia and the other national badminton players who competed in the Tokyo Olympics,” he told reporters after the handing over ceremony by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam.

Also present was Chief Minister Sulaiman Md Ali. 

Chia paired up with Soh Wooi Yik to win the bronze after defeating experienced Indonesian pair, Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan 17-21, 21-17, 21-14. 

Meanwhile, in thanking the state government for the contribution, Chia said as a Malacca native, he was proud to have competed in the Olympics and for his podium finish. 

Besides Chia, two other national badminton players from Malacca, namely mixed doubles player Goh Liu Ying and women’s doubles player Lee Meng Yean, each received RM3,000 from the state government for participating in the prestigious sporting event. – Bernama, August 18, 2021.