KUALA LUMPUR: Five teams and 29 individual athletes were honoured today with the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM)-Sports Toto Award for outstanding performances at the 2015 Singapore Sea Games.
The gold medallists from 19 sports shared RM43,900 in cash incentives under Sports Toto's award scheme collaboration with OCM.
Malaysia won 62 gold medals, the country's best achievement in a Sea Games held abroad, in June but only the best performer in each sport received Sports Toto's award.
They include diver Ooi Tze Liang, archer Fatin Nurfatehah Mat Salleh and bowler Rafiq Ismail, who each won three gold medals in Singapore.
Other multiple gold medallists honoured were archer Juwaidi Mazuki, cueist Thor Chuan Leong, bowler Esther Cheah, sailors Fauzi Kaman Shahid and Nur Shazrin Latif, squash players Sanjay Singh Chal and Rachel Arnold and water skiier Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah.
Each individual athlete received RM1,000 while doubles combinations split the same amount.
The men's and women's hockey teams won RM5,400 each, the women's basketball team were given RM3,600, the men's sepak takraw regu got RM1,500 and the women's wushu barehand duel trio of Audrey Chan, Chan Yu Li and Aggie Cheah shared RM1,000.
"We are excited to see that the 2015 Sea Games produced 29 outstanding gold medallists and five team champions," said Sports Toto communications manager Giam Say Khoon at the award ceremony at OCM Hall of Fame Museum today.
"We hope this will serve as motivation to our national athletes to excel not just in Southeast Asia but also in the international arena."
OCM president Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja'afar also hoped the national athletes will excel at the next edition in Kuala Lumpur in two years.
"Congratulations to all the recipients. I look forward to greater achievements as Malaysia looks forward to hosting the Sea Games in 2017."
