Sepak takraw hero Syahir ‘stunned’ by Malaysia’s near-tripling of gold medal rewards

National tekong Mohammad Syahir Mohd Rosdi (back row, far left) said he believes higher medal rewards will motivate Malaysian athletes to continue striving for success on the international stage. — Bernama pic

First Published: Wednesday, 11 Nov 2026 4:20 PM MYT

Last Modified: Wednesday, 11 Nov 2026 4:21 PM MYT

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 11 — National sepak takraw player Mohammad Syahir Mohd Rosdi described the increase in the Sports Victory Reward Scheme (Shakam) for team events as a fresh morale boost for athletes to continue pursuing success on the international stage.

Mohammad Syahir said he and his teammates were deeply touched by the government’s decision to increase the reward for team event gold medal winners at the Asian Games, Asian Para Games and Commonwealth Games from RM15,000 to RM40,000 per athlete.

The national first-choice tekong said the decision not only provided more equitable recognition for current athletes but could also attract younger generations to take up team sports.

“Alhamdulillah, we received a very positive decision. I was personally stunned and did not know what to say, as the Minister (Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari) had really taken this matter to heart.

“With this increase, our motivation to continue striving has grown. This is not just for sepak takraw, but also for all athletes in team events,” he said when met after a special Shakam press conference at the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) Tower here today.

Mohammad Syahir was among the key figures who helped Malaysia win gold in the team regu event and silver in the men’s regu event at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games last September.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Sepaktakraw Federation (PSM) president Datuk Mohd Sumali Reduan said efforts to push for a review of Shakam reward rates were not solely for the benefit of sepak takraw, but also covered the welfare of athletes across all team sports.

“This increase has brought relief to me and the players, and this struggle was not actually for sepak takraw alone, but for all sports involving team events,” he said.

Earlier, Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari announced today that Shakam rewards for team event gold medal winners at the Asian Games, Asian Para Games and Commonwealth Games had been increased by 166.67 per cent, from RM15,000 to RM40,000 per athlete.

The increase also covers rewards for team event silver medal winners, from RM8,000 to RM20,000 per athlete, while bronze rewards have risen from RM4,000 to RM10,000 per athlete.

The increase in rewards marks the first revision for team events in 24 years, since the rates were set in 2002. — Bernama