KUANTAN: The state government has promised to reward the Pahang football team for bringing home the FA Cup by beating Selangor on July 7.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said the reward, which will be handed out before year end, will depend on the state's current state of affairs.
"Yes, we have plans to give a token to the team...in fact a day before the final match, I visited the players at the training ground.
"Since the team has emerged as champion, we will now deliver our promises. It will be done before the end of the year, depending on the state’s financial status," he said in reply to a supplementary question from Datuk Khairuddin Mahmud (BN-Pulau Manis) on plans to reward the team during the Pahang state assembly sitting today.
Pahang who won their third FA Cup title after beating Selangor 2-0 with goals from Nor Azam Azih and Patrick Cruz.
Earlier, Datuk Seri Mohd Johari Hussain (BN- Tioman), the state Human Resources, Youth and Sports committee chairman said former national athletes and current athletes from Pahang have never been sidelined in securing jobs.
He was replying to a question from Mohd Sofian Abd Jalil (Pas- Luit) on plans to help jobless athletes in Pahang who have contributed significantly to the country.
Johari said the National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb) was set up by the Youth and Sports Ministry to help them secure suitable jobs.
"The government have also introduced special scholarships for former atheletes which will pave a way for them to further their studies at higher learning institutions.
"In Pahang, we have former athletes who have gone to secure jobs in the government sector and some have become entrepreneurs.
"We want them to enjoy a better life after retiring from their sporting career," he said.