KUALA LUMPUR: The Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) is seeking a 20 to 30 percent increase in funding from the Youth and Sports Ministry to support its preparations for major events, including the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
SRAM president Gerard Monteiro said the association is currently operating on a tight budget of around RM4 million to RM5 million.
The government will allocate RM230 million to sports under in the 2025 Budget.
"We are currently working with a very tight budget. We receive RM4 million to RM5 million annually from the Youth and Sports Ministry through the National Sports Council (NSC), including funding from the Road to Gold (RTG) programme.
"We're hoping for a 20 to 30 percent increase, which would greatly help us prepare for the next Olympics, as well as the 2026 Asian Games," said Monteiro at a press conference at the SRAM headquarters today.
Meanwhile, Monteiro hopes to add more squash players to the RTG Fast Track programme.
Currently, Ng Eain Yow, S. Sivasangari, and the Azman sisters, Aifa and Aira, are part of the programme.
"We would like to add Yee Xin Yee and Ainaa Amani Ampandi to the Fast Track programme. Both of them have had good results and are nibbling at the heels of Aifa and Aira.
"We would like to have a bigger pool of talent over the next two to four years," Monteiro added.
Ainaa Amani, 22, ranked No. 52 in the world, won an ACE Challenger Tour event last month and finished runner-up at the Hamilton Open in the United States.
Xin Yee, 20, won the Open De Lagord in France on Saturday.