BAM seeks Budget 2027 grant support as running costs rise
BAM hopes a RM30 million Budget 2027 matching grant will help with rising costs, but says it must see the eligibility rules before assessing the benefit.
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The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) hopes a RM30 million sports matching grant announced in Budget 2027 will help it manage rising costs, but the governing body cannot yet say how it might use the funding.
BAM president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said on Tuesday, October 13, that the Sports Matching Grant (GPS) could offer additional support to sports associations. He said BAM costs approximately RM55 million a year to run, while the grant’s implementation mechanism and eligibility criteria have yet to be finalised.
Grant details still pending
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the RM30 million GPS initiative in Budget 2027. Tengku Zafrul said BAM had previously relied heavily on private sector partnerships to carry out its programmes, making the prospect of additional support welcome as costs rise.
“I hope that grants like this will assist sports associations, including BAM, given the rising costs involved,” he said during an interview on Bernama TV programme The Nation. “For instance, managing BAM today requires approximately RM55 million annually.”
Despite that interest, BAM has not established how the grant might apply to its work. Tengku Zafrul said the association needs to examine the implementation mechanism and eligibility criteria before deciding what benefit it could derive from the initiative.
That means its potential impact on BAM’s programmes remains unclear. Tengku Zafrul’s comments concerned the possibility of assistance, not a confirmed grant to the association. The RM30 million figure is for the GPS initiative, rather than an amount allocated specifically to BAM.
Sport’s wider economic role
Tengku Zafrul also welcomed the RM460 million allocation for sports development. He said sport should receive attention not only for athletes’ achievements but also as an industry capable of contributing to national economic growth.
“The sports sector needs to be viewed as an industry in its own right, rather than solely from the perspective of the sport itself,” he said. He pointed to economic spillover effects and compared sport’s potential with that of other sectors, including entertainment.
He said that approach was important to building a more sustainable sports industry, with private sector involvement and stronger commercial value for Malaysian sports.
Source: Malay Mail. This article was compiled by the iBET.news newsroom from the source report and other public information.
