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Ex-athletes receive financial aid ahead of Hari Raya

It was a small, yet intimate gathering of many familiar faces. Those who hogged the back pages of newspapers of yesteryears, met and greeted each other at Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

They were all there for one reason – to celebrate togetherness and assist former internationals who needed help.

Organised by news website Free Malaysia Today (FMT) and the National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb), Ramadan Ihya 2024 was graced by Sultan Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, and Tengku Ampuan Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.

FMT and an anonymous donor joined hands to donate RM50,000 to bring Raya joy to the former national stars.

The royal couple presented the financial assistance to 50 former internationals, including para-athletes who once donned the national colours. They included former footballer Khalid Jamlus, Alias Kassim (rugby), Samsul Mat Juah (bodybuilding), Rajah Maideen Abdul Majib (boxing), Halimah Hassan (para lawn bowls), Zul Amirul Sidi Abdullah (para swimming) and Muhammad Koh Abdullah (para weightlifting).

Also present were Yakeb chairman Datuk Noorul Ariffin Abdul Majeed and FMT managing director Azeem Abu Bakar. Others who joined the reception included UFL Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk V. Krishnan, Karyawan president Datuk Freddie Fernandez, former shuttler Datuk Rashid Sidek, ex-cyclist Datuk Ng Joo Ngan, former track star Datuk Marina Chin, former footballer and national coach Datuk K. Rajagobal, Malaysia Olympian Association president Noraseela Khalid, and former editors Datuk Dr Johnson Fernandez, Datuk Lazarus Rokk, and Datuk Fauzi Omar.

Earlier, Al-Sultan Abdullah and Tunku Azizah mingled with some 150 guests in the hall, and the royal couple even joined in the buffet line to break fast.