{
  "id": 13307481,
  "title": "Sports Ministry welcomes 2027 Budget funding for athlete development",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/sports-ministry-welcomes-2027-budget-funding-for-athlete-development",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-10T02:53:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/sports/others/2026/10/1552204/sports-ministry-welcomes-2027-budget-funding-athlete-development"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "The Youth and Sports Ministry in Malaysia has welcomed the allocations for sports development in the 2027 Budget, including RM460 million for sports and RM240 million for the SEA Games and Asean Para Games preparations. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim presented the Budget, expressing the government's commitment to strengthening national sports development, nurturing talent, and expanding opportunities for young people. The RM460 million allocation covers high-performance sports, the Road to Gold (RTG) programme, Para athletes, Deaf sports, and sports facility maintenance. Additionally, RM240 million has been set aside for the 2027 SEA Games and Asean Para Games preparations, while RM30 million is allocated for the Sports Matching Grant to support sports bodies, clubs, and non-governmental organisations in organising high-performance sporting events. The ministry also appreciated the expansion of individual income tax relief for sports equipment purchases, including sports shoes, to encourage an active lifestyle and foster a sporting culture among Malaysians. The ministry pledged to collaborate with other ministries, government agencies, sports bodies, youth organisations, and strategic partners to ensure the announced initiatives benefit athletes, young people, and the wider community.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}