Lazada Malaysia has donated RM50,000 to the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) in support of the TambahEMAS crowd-funding initiative anchored by PCM’s mission to train and prepare the para-athletes towards securing more gold medals in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
The donation was presented at the inaugural multi-country Lazada Run with the participation of 8,000 Malaysians for the 5km, 10km, and 21km race routes in Cyberjaya yesterday, and witnessed by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
Lazada Malaysia chief executive officer Alan Chan in a statement said the donation will also support PCM’s efforts in organising additional outreach initiatives for the disabled community.
He said the event was a prime demonstration of Lazada’s efforts to engage Malaysian youth through fitness, in addition to promoting sports inclusivity for all.
“We are thrilled by the success of the Lazada Run, which was organised as a platform to inspire consumers to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. It is heartening to see Malaysians from all walks of life turning up this morning to spend precious time bonding and enjoying a healthy recreational activity together.
“The participation of our para-athletes and Hannah’s support reaffirm our commitment to make fitness accessible to all and to the development of Malaysian youth, many of whom are present today to walk and run with their friends and family,” he said.
At the event, Hannah also flagged off a special 1km route of 40 para-athletes representing the three major disability categories in Paralympic Sports, namely physical, visual and intellectual, which was enthusiastically encouraged by the exuberant crowd.
Receiving the donation, PCM president Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin said the event was a great example of striving towards creating an environment that includes and uplifts the disabled community.
“We are thankful that organisations like Lazada are stepping up to raise awareness and support for our para-athletes. We hope to see continued support to empower and enable Malaysia’s talented para-athletes who have and will continue to make the country proud in the sporting arena,” he added.
The Lazada Run is a tour of six Southeast Asian cities including Ho Chi Minh, Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore where the winners from the five cities where the run has already concluded will be flown into Singapore for the final event that will flag off on July 23.
For Malaysia, first and second place finishers of the 21km race, Poo Vasanthan Subramaniam, Nik Fakaruddin Ismail, Noor Amelia Musa and Lee Shi Fing, and first place winners of the 10km race Mohamad Shahrin Che Abdullah and Chua Khit Yeng will compete in Singapore against the other regions for the chance to win USD3,500 (estimated at RM16,000).
The top five winners of both the 21km and 10km races in the event yesterday, won cash vouchers totalling up to RM21,200, while all runners who successfully completed the half-marathon received an exclusive 21km race medal and finisher tee.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency
