KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 29 -- The recent controversy over a delayed incentive payment to Paralympic gold medallist Cheah Liek Hou has sparked debate on how Malaysia's top badminton players are treated, casting a spotlight on the sport's complex remuneration system.

Cheah publicly criticised the Malaysian Paralympic Council (MPC), saying it had failed to honour its pledge to pay a RM60,000 reward to gold medallists of the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

He and powerlifter Bonnie Bunyau Gustin were the only Malaysians to win gold at the tournament.

The council defended itself, saying the incentive could not be paid because one of its sponsors had pulled out.

The row then escalated into a messy debate over responsibility for athletes' rewards. To cl...