After decades, track and field Athletes of the Year to receive RM5,000

Free Malaysia Today

Eight former sportsman and sportswoman of the year from 1966–1982 have been told their long-promised cash prizes will soon be paid. One, Gladys Chai, lives abroad.   Read More: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/highlight/2026/01/20/after-decades-track-and-field-athletes-of-the-year-to-receive-rm5000   Laporan Lanjut: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2026/01/20/selepas-puluhan-tahun-olahragawan-olahragawati-kebangsaan-terima-rm5000  Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5 Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Download FMT News App: Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46 App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP  #FMTNews

Transcript

00:00Imagine winning Malaysia's highest sports honour.

00:03Then imagine never being paid the cash price that came with it.

00:07That's what happened to a group of Malaysian Athletics greats decades ago.

00:12And now, finally something has shifted.

00:15Malaysia Athletics has moved to fix the wrong.

00:18Eight former sportsmen and sportswomen of the year

00:21have been told their RM5,000 is coming.

00:25A ninth high jumper, Gladys Chai, lives overseas and will be paid once she's reached.

00:32This isn't just bookkeeping.

00:34It's closure for people who once carried our flag.

00:37Names you might know.

00:39Dr. Mani Jega Tesin, M. Rajah Mani, Junaida Aman, Koo Chong Beng, Rabwan Pitt, Zaiton Othman, V. Subramaniam, Marina Chin and Gladys Chai.

00:52Sit at the heart of this.

00:54They won the titles from 1966 to 1982.

00:58Back then, prize money was promised but never passed on.

01:02Some were told to wait until retirement to preserve their amateur status.

01:06Some were never told anything.

01:09The news follows recent moves by other sports bodies.

01:13Cycling, hockey, badminton and bowling have begun settling old counts.

01:19Others have yet to act.

01:21And that nudge by FMT in September last year made a real difference.

01:26For the athletes, this is not about the amount.

01:29It's about being remembered.

01:31Subramaniam said the gesture felt like dignity restored.

01:36Junaida called it welcome closure.

01:40Today, we mark a small but powerful fix.

01:44Promises kept, history acknowledged, and respect for those who ran, jumped and walked for Malaysia.

01:53Frankie D. Cruz and Amadeep Gill, FMT.

01:57So, let's go.

01:58Let's go.

01:59Let's go.

02:00Let's go.

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Transcript

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