00:00He was fated as a national hero, the first and only hockey player ever named Sportsman of the
00:09Year. For his achievements, forward M. Mahindran was promised RM5,000. What he received instead
00:16was just RM170. Decades later, he has finally broken his silence. The rest of the money,
00:25he says, was taken by the Malaysian Hockey Federation. RM2,000 went to a non-sporting
00:31heroes fund, while the balance was supposedly set aside for his 18 national teammates.
00:39None of them ever saw a scent. The glory proved fleeting. Honored one day, forgotten the next.
00:47A recent FMT expose revealed that at least 10 other sporting legends, nine from athletics,
00:53were also denied their promised RM5,000 prizes. For the athletes, now in their twilight years,
01:00the fight is no longer about money. It is about recognition, dignity, and trust. And Mahindran
01:08warns, until the truth is faced, Malaysia risks forgetting those who once carried its flag highest.
01:16Frankie D'Cruz and Natasha Bust, FMT.
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