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Malaysian Today Web Edition World Transplant Games Malaysia win four golds Aug 26, 2005

FOR THE ALBUM: The Malaysian team posing for a picture with the Tunisian contingent LAST month, 10 Malaysians who competed at the World Transplant Games in London, Canada proved that there is life after having a major transplant. The athletes, who competed in the badminton, table tennis and 5km walk events, did the country proud by finishing a creditable 23rd out of 50 countries with a medal haul of 4-1-2. It was the ninth time that Malaysia competed in the biennial Games and made possible by the Green Ribbon Support Association. The GRSA, an association for former transplant patients, has been responsible for raising the funds needed to send the athletes for the games.” It’s always a struggle for us to source for funds. Most organisations are rather apprehensive about sponsoring us because they’ve never heard of the games. “But thankfully, through hard work and persistence, we’ve managed to come up with the necessary funds with the help of the Youth and Sports Ministry and also well

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wishers. Nevertheless, we do hope to create better public awareness of the Games in the future to help our cause,” said team coordinator, S. Ramayee. The team was selected from the Malaysian Transplant Games in March. The World Transplant Games was initiated in 1978 to encourage former transplant patients to lead an active lifestyle. It is also aimed at getting more people to donate their organs and tissues to help those in need. The Games started off by featuring only kidney recipients and soon expanded to include heart, lung, liver, and pancreas and bone marrow recipients. It currently receives recognition and support from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as well. The Games has also grown in stature, with only a hundred participants at the inaugural event to over a thousand athletes at the recent edition. Malaysia first competed in the 1988 Games in Singapore. The contingent’s best performance to date was at the 2003 Games in Nancy, France, where the team clinched four golds, two silver and two bronze medals ABOUT MALAYSIAN TODAY | CONTACT US | COPYRIGHTS 2005 © THE MALAYSIAN TODAY PRESS SDN. BHD. Malaysian Today Web Edition http://www.malaysiantoday.com.my/pride/260805-wtg.htm