JOHOR BARU: The Johor government will present RM8,000 to national deaf karate exponent V. Yilamaran on his silver-medal feat at the 24th Deaflympics in Brazil.

Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the gift is in appreciation of the Johor-born athlete’s contribution.

“Congratulations to national athlete Yilamaran Vispalingam for winning silver in the men’s kumite below 84kg category at the Deaflympics.

“The Johor-born athlete created personal history as this is the first time the country has participated in this event on the world level and he won a medal for Malaysia,” he said on his Facebook page Tuesday (May 3).

He said the success would certainly inspire all Johoreans to always strive for success in whatever they do.

Yilamaran bagged the country’s first medal at the 24th Deaflympic Games in Caxias do Sul, Brazil, yesterday (early Tuesday morning in Malaysia).

The 22-year-old settled for a silver medal after losing to Makhno Oleksanr of Ukraine in the final. – Bernama