National badminton players Lee Zii Jia, Aaron Chia, and Soh Wooi Yik each received RM100,000 and a Chery Tiggo 7 Pro as rewards for securing bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Chery Malaysia gifted the players an SUV valued at RM123,800. Zii Jia, currently at the Japan Open in Yokohama, missed the handover ceremony. New Straits Times states that the National Sports Council issued the cash rewards via the Skim Hadiah Kemenangan Sukan (SHAKAM).
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh announced that the National Sports Council decided to double the reward to RM100,000 each for Aaron and Wooi Yik. This increase contrasts with the RM50,000 they were awarded for their bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
“Both worked really hard and deserve the RM100,000 incentive, like Zii Jia,” said Hannah.
“It was very stressful for everyone at the Olympics but the turning point was when Aaron-Wooi Yik survived match point in the second game to take the match into a rubber game (against Kim Astrup-Aders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark) in the semi-finals.
“That changed the momentum for everybody. After watching that, everyone believed that anything was possible.”
Although Zii Jia was not part of the Road to Gold programme, he received a RM50,000 grant before the Paris Games. He will now receive an additional RM100,000 from the NSC to cover his expenses leading up to the Olympics, as reported by Bernama. Additionally, Zii Jia will benefit from a lifetime pension of RM2,000 per month under the Permanent Olympics Incentive Scheme.
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Aaron-Wooi Yik defended their bronze medal by defeating Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen with scores of 16-21, 22-20, 21-19. Meanwhile, Zii Jia secured his bronze medal by overcoming India’s Lashya Sen with scores of 13-21, 21-16, 21-11.
Awards For The Olympians
From Government
Gold Medalists: RM1 million + lifetime pension of RM5,000
Silver Medalists: RM300,000 + lifetime pension of RM3,000
Bronze Medalists: RM100,000 + lifetime pension of RM2,000
From Chery Malaysia
Gold Medalists: Chery Tiggo 8 Pro
Silver Medalists: Omoda E5 electric SUV
Bronze Medalists: Chery Tiggo 7 Pro
Wooi Yik Plans To Give His New Chery Tiggo 7 Pro To His Father
Aaron expressed his appreciation for the rewards, highlighting that this support will inspire both him and Wooi Yik as they prepare for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He commented, “We thank Chery for their support. It’s fantastic to receive a car that’s perfect for a family man like me.”
Wooi Yik, who is single, revealed that he intends to gift the car to his father, a fan of large vehicles. “I plan to give the car to my father as a token of appreciation for his support and care. I want to surprise him,” said Wooi Yik. His father, Soh Goon Chup, is also a former national badminton player.
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