Despite not awarding prize money to winners at Paris 2024, the International Olympic Committee, different nations and territories provide incentives to their athletes who bring home gold, silver, or bronze medals.
These incentives can range from financial rewards to unique gifts such as exemption from mandatory military service, cars, cows, apartments, and free food deliveries.
Below is a glimpse of what some countries offer to their Olympic medalists:
– South Korea –
Athletes who win an Olympic medal in South Korea receive exemption from 18 months of mandatory military service, which is compulsory for all able-bodied males by the age of 28. Asian Games gold medalists are also granted the same exemption, as demonstrated by star footballer Son Heung-min’s win in Jakarta in 2018.
Furthermore, the six archers from South Korea who won four out of five gold medals in Tokyo were each gifted a car by the team’s sponsor, Hyundai.
– Poland –
Gold medalists in individual events in Poland receive a cash prize of 250,000 zlotys ($63,000), a two-room apartment, a diamond, a painting, and a holiday voucher. Silver and bronze medal winners are also generously rewarded with cash and other gifts.
– Indonesia –
Badminton women’s doubles gold medalists Apriyani Rahayu and Greysia Polii from Indonesia were promised rewards such as new houses from a property developer, meatball restaurants from a social media influencer, and five cows, a plot of land, and a house from the district head of Southeast Sulawesi.
Additionally, the duo was pledged three kilograms of gold by state-owned enterprise PT Pegadaian and free holidays in the country’s top five tourist destinations by the tourism minister.
– Jordan –
Ahmad Abu Ghaush, who won Jordan’s first-ever gold medal in Taekwondo in Rio, was rewarded with 100,000 dinars ($140,000) by the national Olympic committee, among other gifts and awards.
Local companies also gifted Abu Ghaush a car and a luxury watch, while King Abdullah II awarded him the First Class Order of Distinction.
– The Philippines –
Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, who won the Philippines’ first gold medal in Tokyo, received two properties and a promotion to staff sergeant in the Armed Forces of the Philippines as a reward.
The president of the Philippine Olympic Committee, Abraham Tolentino, has previously gifted houses and land to medalists at his own expense.
– Iraq –
Football players from Iraq each received more than nine million dinars ($7,200) and a plot of land for qualifying for the Olympics. Weightlifter Ali Ammar Yasser, who qualified for the Games, was given a car and a plot of land, with a promise of one million dollars if he brings back a bronze medal or higher.
– Malaysia –
The first Malaysian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in Paris will enjoy one year of free food orders from delivery and transport company Grab, along with a Chery SUV car and a luxury apartment from property developer Top Residency, as announced by the government.
– India –
Javelin gold medalist Neeraj Chopra was promised unlimited free air travel for a year by airline IndiGo and a new seven-seater SUV by a businessman after his win in Tokyo.
– Singapore –
Following Joseph Schooling’s historic gold medal win in the 100m butterfly in Rio, ride-hailing service Grab offered free transport for him and his family for a year, along with a million air miles from Singapore Airlines. The Singaporean government also awards one million Singapore dollars ($750,000) for any gold medal.
– Hong Kong –
Paris gold medal-winning fencers Vivian Kong and Cheung Ka-long from Hong Kong received lifetime travel tickets for the city’s MTR subway system from the government, alongside a six million Hong Kong dollar ($770,000) reward from the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Other Hong Kong athletes competing in Paris received lifetime gym memberships from Pure and free business class travel for a year from Cathay Pacific airline.
bur-dh/fox
