The Penang Badminton Association (PBA) has set RM5,000 for an individual gold medal and RM10,000 for a team gold at the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Selangor, betting that gold-only incentives will push its shuttlers past the near-misses of the last edition.
Buletin Mutiara reported that PBA secretary Jason Kah announced the reward scheme during a team briefing at the PBA hall in Bukit Dumbar, a day before the squad departed for the Games.
Kah told players the reward is designed to instil a “winning mentality” rather than let them settle for silver or bronze. “You must be proud and grateful to be selected to represent Penang. All your hard work and dedication have paid off. Now, it is time to demonstrate 100 per cent effort or more in the competition proper,” he said.
The Games run from 15 to 24 August at the Setia City Convention Centre in Setia Alam, Selangor.
PBA has set a target of two gold, one silver, and two bronze medals. The target comes after Penang shuttlers reached three finals at the last Sukma in Sarawak but lost all of them, taking home three silvers from the men’s singles, men’s doubles, and women’s singles events, plus a bronze in the mixed team event.
Manager Eddie Yeoh said he hoped the players could rise to the occasion.
The gold-only reward means PBA is putting its budget behind winners rather than spreading incentives across all podium finishes.
The squad of 16 players includes six who competed in Sarawak, giving them experience of high-pressure national finals. About 80 per cent are young enough to return for the next Sukma, giving the association a development pipeline alongside its medal push.
PBA president Datuk Kah Kau Kiak said the squad is disciplined and capable, though one player was ruled out by injury. “I still think the team can deliver the medals,” he said.
Chief coach Razlan Abdullah and assistant coach Mohd Zairi Mat Zuber will lead the squad on the ground. Also present at the briefing were PBA treasurer Datuk Ang Lay Heang and committee member Loh Eng Swee.
The squad is led by captains Tan Zhing Hui and Jan Jireh Lee Zhi Ming, both among the returning players who know what it takes to reach a Sukma final.
