ikhlas.com entrusted to bring 18 ex-national athletes on their umrah journey
Photo caption: Former national paralympic track and field athlete Rahim Yusoff (left) and former national wheelchair tennis player Azman Hasan (front) with fellow pilgrims at Masjid Nabawi, Madinah.
KUALA LUMPUR, 16 July 2026 – Ikhlas Com Travel & Umrah Sdn Bhd (ikhlas.com) expands its sponsored umrah programme to provide former national sporting heroes with the opportunity to fulfil their dream of performing the pilgrimage after years of bringing pride to Malaysia on the international sporting stage.
A total of 18 athletes, all members of the National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb), have been selected to perform umrah with ikhlas.com. Seven of them are fully sponsored by the Faculty of Sports Science and Recreation (FSSR) MARA University of Technology (UiTM), with the support of the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS).
Chief Executive Officer of ikhlas.com, Ikhlas Kamarudin said: "Alhamdulillah, we are truly honoured by the trust placed in ikhlas.com by Yakeb, UiTM and MAIS to bring this special group of pilgrims to the Holy Land.
"We hope this initiative will pave the way for more collaborations with various organisations, enabling us to support more deserving individuals, such as former athletes who have sacrificed so much in service of the nation, in fulfilling their dream of performing umrah."
On 13 July, the first group of five special pilgrims departed from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 2 for Jeddah and are currently in Madinah. They comprise former national Paralympic track and field athlete Rahim Yusoff, former national wheelchair tennis player Azman Hasan, former Paralympic athlete Fatimah Daud, former national hockey player Rohaya Razali, and former national silat exponent Rosmadi Abdul Rahim. The remaining participants are scheduled to depart on 26 July 2026.
Born without both hands, Rahim Yusoff described the journey to the Holy Land as a lifelong dream that has finally come true.
"I am deeply grateful because this is my first opportunity to perform umrah. The moment ikhlas.com contacted me, I immediately began making preparations. I believe this is truly Allah SWT's blessing. Allah tests each of us in different ways. My test is my physical disability, but we must remain resilient and patient because every trial carries wisdom," said Rahim.
Photo caption: Rahim at the courtyard of Masjid Quba, Madinah.
Rahim represented Malaysia in athletics, competing in the 100 metres, 200 metres, high jump and long jump before retiring in 2003 after representing the country at the Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam. Following his retirement, he has earned a living as a tailor, cattle farmer and home-based salted egg entrepreneur.
Also joining the pilgrimage is Azman Hasan, a pioneer of Malaysia's wheelchair tennis programme who once achieved a career-high world ranking of ninth.
"Persons with disabilities should not wait for society to come forward and help them. Instead, they must have the courage to step forward, integrate into society and demonstrate what they are capable of," said Azman.
Photo caption: Azman with fellow pilgrims during their visit around Madinah.
Throughout his sporting career, Azman brought pride to Malaysia through numerous international achievements before scaling back his competitive career in 2018. Although no longer competing full-time, he continues to contribute to the development of sports by mentoring aspiring athletes.
More than just a pilgrimage, the stories of these former national athletes serve as a reminder that true success is measured not only by achievements in sport, but also by resilience, perseverance and unwavering faith in Allah SWT.
If you would like to help ease the financial burden of underprivileged pilgrims selected to perform umrah, you may contribute to the Umrah 1000 Asnaf Sadaqah Fund through the official ikhlas.com website.
Established in October 2020, ikhlas.com is Capital A’s Islamic digital platform offering Umrah and Muslim-friendly travel solutions, alongside Shariah-compliant services such as zakat, qurban, aqiqah, sadaqah and fidyah. Built on the principles of amanah, transparency and service excellence, ikhlas.com aims to simplify Islamic obligations and journeys for the Muslim community. For more information, visit ikhlas.com or download the ikhlas.com app on Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
