DOING the nation proud, self-fulfilment and monetary rewards from the government are among the normal motivating factors for athletes competing at the Paralympics.
But the national contingent heading to the Tokyo Paralympics on Aug 24-Sep 5 now have one more good reason to push harder than ever for medals — free car wash for life.
Car detailing application Hive — which connects car owners to car wash centres — is offering this to any athlete who wins a medal at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Hive founder Amirol Isa Izani said the new app, which has more than 40 car wash centres in its network, hopes it will help provide the athletes added motivation in Tokyo.
"All of us at Hive are keen sports fans, and in 2016, we all saw the huge impact our athletes made at the Rio Paralympics," said Amirol after launching the initiative in Bandar Sunway yesterday.
"We are incredibly proud of them, and to support them, we have decided to offer free car wash for life to para-athletes who win medals of any colour in Tokyo as an incentive.
"Beginning today (yesterday), para-athletes who register with the app are also eligible to receive one free car wash and will be updated on special promotions in the future."
Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) president Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin, who officiated the launch, said the national body welcome any support from the private sector.
Shahriman disclosed that PCM have also received a special sponsorship from the City of Miyoshi in Japan.
"We (contingent) will be heading to Japan 10 days earlier than the original schedule and will stay in Miyoshi before we move into the athletes' village in Tokyo," said Shahriman.
"The athletes will undergo light training sessions in Miyoshi, which is not far from Tokyo. It will help them acclimatise to the conditions in Japan," said Shahriman.
Malaysia won three gold and one bronze at the Rio Games. It was the first time Malaysia had won gold at the Paralympics.