Diamonds, cars, free travel and food prizes for Olympic medalists

Although international Olympic The committee does not pay prize money to the winning athletes, but many countries do to their athletes Gold, Silver or Bronze medals They shower rewards on them.

Most of these prizes are offered in cash, but some countries also give the winning players diamonds, gold, expensive cars, free travel, free food for life, cows, apartments and exemptions from compulsory military service.

We take a look at the awards given to athletes who have won Olympic medals from certain countries.

South Korea

The Korean government exempts athletes from 18 months of mandatory military service for any Olympic medal they win. In South Korea, military service is required for all healthy men by the age of 28.

Star footballer Son Heung-min was also given the exemption after winning a gold medal at the Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018.

Six archers from the country were gifted luxury cars by Hyundai at the Tokyo Games.

South Korean archers compete in the final round of trials for the national archery team for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (AFP)

Poland

Individual gold medal winners in Poland receive $63,000 in cash, a two-room apartment, a diamond, a painting and a vacation voucher.

Silver and bronze medal winners are awarded cash and other prizes.

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Indonesia

A private property developer pledged to provide new housing and an all-ages meatball dish to the athletes who won the badminton women’s doubles gold in Tokyo three years ago.

One of these athletes was also promised five cows, a plot and a house by the head of the district Antamiya.

Another report said that the state-owned company had promised these players three kilograms of gold.

The tourism minister said that they can enjoy free vacations at five major tourist destinations in the country.

Jordan

Jordanian athlete Ahmed Abu Ghosh won the country’s first gold medal in the men’s 68 kg taekwondo division in Rio, and the National Olympic Committee awarded him 100,000 dinars and his coach 50,000 dinars.

Ahmed Abu Ghosh also received many other awards and gifts from local companies, including a car and a luxury watch, while King Abdullah II awarded him the highest civilian award, the First Class Order of Distinction.

The Philippines

Weightlifter Hedelin Diaz was awarded two properties and the rank of staff sergeant in the Armed Forces of the Philippines for winning the country’s first gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino told AFP that he had previously given houses and plots of land to medal winners at his own expense.

In this photo taken on May 21, 2021, Philippine Olympic weightlifter Hedlin Diaz takes part in a training session in Jason, Malacca, Malaysia (AFP)

Iraq

According to officials, Iraqi football players were given 9 million dinars and a plot each for qualifying for the Olympics.

Weightlifter Ali Amar Yasir got a car and a plot after qualifying for the Games. He was promised a reward of 1 million dollars for bringing the medal.

Malaysia

Malaysia’s first Olympic gold medalist in Paris did not return empty-handed after being promised a year’s worth of free food orders by delivery and transport company ‘Grab’.

The Malaysian government said they will receive an SUV as well as a luxury apartment from property developer Top Residency.

India

When Neeraj Chopra won the javelin gold in Tokyo, he was promised unlimited free air travel for a year by Airline IndiGo and a new seven-seater SUV from a businessman.

India gold medalist Neeraj Chopra poses on the podium during the medal ceremony of the men’s javelin throw final athletics event during the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, October 4, 2023 (AFP)

Singapore

After Joseph Schooling made history by beating Michael Phelps to win the 100m butterfly gold at the Rio Games in 2016, ride-hailing service Grab offered him and his family free transport for a year. She shared with a blind masseuse and a para. the swimmer

Singapore Airlines also offered them up to 1 million miles of free air travel while the government gives 1 million Singapore dollars to gold medalists.

Hong Kong

The Hong Kong government gave Paris gold medal-winning fencers Vivian Kang and Cheung Ka lifetime travel tickets on the city’s MTR subway system and promised the same to all other medal winners.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club also awards 6 million Hong Kong dollars to individual gold medalists.

Gymnasium China Pure offered lifetime memberships to all 35 Hong Kong athletes competing in Paris, while Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airline said it would offer free business class travel for a year to all medal winners. Will do.