Yakeb targets comprehensive support plan for retired athletes
KUALA LUMPUR: The National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb) appreciates the views expressed by former national athletes on the need to strengthen assistance and support schemes for Olympians and former athletes after retirement.
The National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb) welcomed the call from former Olympians and retired athletes for improved support and assistance schemes. They emphasized that this is crucial, not only for those facing hardship, but also for aspects of health, income, career development and long-term well-being. Yakeb is currently implementing a new 360-degree initiative to address these needs more comprehensively.
This includes welfare and health assistance, self-development, career and entrepreneurship opportunities. Former hockey player Maninderjit Singh has called on the government to establish a comprehensive welfare framework for retired athletes, citing their struggles with inadequate retirement savings, sports-related injuries, and employment difficulties.
Yakeb sees this initiative as a key focus for their 2027 plans, and is grateful for the ongoing cooperation from the government, particularly the Ministry of Youth and Sports. They also stress the importance of health support and have been working to improve access to better facilities and services. Yakeb's efforts extend beyond financial assistance, with a focus on overall well-being.
They recognize that caring for former athletes is a shared responsibility between various stakeholders, including government, sports bodies, corporations, and the community. The ultimate aim is to ensure that the hard work of Malaysia's athletes is not forgotten after their sports careers.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
