SBA'S $70K BOOST FOR L.A. 2028

Move follows players' Paris showing and to spur them to qualify for next Olympics

- David Lee

Buoyed by their respectable showing at the Paris Olympics, the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) on Oct 2 handed out a total of $70,000 to its full-time players in a new initiative to recognise their commitment and spur them to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Loh Kean Yew, Jason Teh, Joel Koh, Marcus Lau, Yeo Jia Min, Jaslyn Hooi, Insyirah Khan, Megan Lee, Johann Prajogo, Loh Kean Hean, Heng Xiao En, Jin Yujia, Terry Hee and Jessica Tan each received $4,000 in cash and $1,000 in FairPrice vouchers at an event at the Singapore Swimming Club.

Besides the incentive for full-time players for the SBA's financial year ending March 2024, the only part-time national player, Grace Chua, also received $2,500.

SBA president Lawrence Leow, who was re-elected unopposed at the annual general meeting on Sept 21, said: "We often focus on the Olympians, but those who have dedicated years of their lives training to qualify for the Olympics should be celebrated too.