Team Malaysia Might Pull Out From Asian Powerlifting Championships Due To Lack Of Funding
The team had won several gold medals in the past.
By Arisha Rozaidee — 25 Nov 2019, 11:35 AM
Three athletes have been chosen to represent Malaysia in the upcoming Asian Classic Powerlifting Championships 2019
Mashable Southeast Asia reported that Kenneth Kaden Chin, Kelvin Yeoh, and Liew Ashton were chosen by the Malaysian Association of Powerlifting to be part of Team Malaysia and represent the country.
29-year-old Kenneth Kaden Chin has won multiple gold medals from various local and international competitions. He was also the national champion for several consecutive years.
Meanwhile, his teammate, 30-year-old Kelvin Yeoh is a full-time powerlifting coach and personal trainer. In 2017, he had won a gold medal at the Asian Classic Powerlifting Championships in Indonesia.
23-year-old Liew Ashton is the youngest of the three. At the Asian Classic Powerlifting Championships in 2018, he had won a gold medal for Team Malaysia.
The upcoming Asian Classic Powerlifting Championships will be held in Kazakhstan this December.
However, due to lack of funding, Team Malaysia might have to pull out from the competition.
The week-long championships will be held from 2 December to 8 December. It will see more than 500 lifters from 22 different countries.
Team Malaysia had previously participated in the Asian Championships in 2018 and 2017, bagging many gold medals and breaking several Asian records along the way.
However, this year, the team is facing financial difficulties that may result in them withdrawing from the competition.
Chin told SAYS, "The directors of the Malaysian Association of Powerlifting have submitted countless budget proposals to the government to help fund our expenses. However, we have yet to hear any positive news thus far."
"We have worked very hard to qualify in this tournament. It would be amazing if we get to raise our national flag on the podium while Negaraku plays in the background," he added.
The team decided to take matters into their own hands and started a crowdfunding campaign
They are looking to raise a total of RM18,711. The funding will hopefully cover their travelling expenses which makes up a whopping 60% of the cost.
"We have been working hard on getting sponsors to lend their kind assistance, but it is unlikely that our costs will be fully covered by sponsors alone. Hence, we have decided to launch this crowdfunding campaign to help cover the remaining expenses," they shared on their crowdfunding page.
If they're unable to raise enough funds within this short time, they will carry the total amount donated to their next competition, the Southeast Asia (SEA) Cup 2020.
You can help team Malaysia get to the championships by donating here.
