By Nur Fatin Mohmad Kadenen
ISKANDAR PUTERI, Sept 15 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Handball Federation (MAHF) expects to clear its outstanding debt from the previous management within the next two years through an instalment payment plan.
MAHF president Datuk Pandak Ahmad said the arrangement was reached following discussions with Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria, with the outstanding amount to be settled through monthly instalments.
He said the instalment plan was part of the terms for MAHF’s reinstatement as an OCM affiliate in October last year.
“Since October, we have been paying RM3,000 a month and we expect the entire outstanding amount to be cleared within two years,” he told Bernama.
He said this when asked about the federation’s outstanding debt and membership status with OCM.
In 2021, MAHF was dropped as an OCM affiliate over an outstanding debt of RM133,000, which included expenses and costs related to the participation of handball athletes at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.
Mohamad Norza was previously reported as saying that OCM was considering lifting the suspension on the federation to allow its athletes and officials to compete at the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand.
He said it was time for handball to return to the mainstream and ensure that athletes and officials did not become victims of the problems that had plagued the federation in the past.
Meanwhile, Pandak said the national men’s and women’s handball teams would compete in an International Handball Federation (IHF) tournament in Chonburi, Thailand, next October.
He said the two squads, each comprising 14 players, were confident of putting up a strong challenge, with both targeting a podium finish.
“They have already started training. Our national teams are based at UiTM Shah Alam and include several players who competed at the ASEAN University Games (AUG),” he said.
The national men’s handball team won gold at the 2024 AUG in Surabaya-Malang, Indonesia.
-- BERNAMA