The medal-winning Paralympians and Olympians will not only receive the crowdfunded donations, but the SA government has also announced the financial incentives that they will be giving to the athletes.
Johannesburg, South Africa (29 August 2021) – Department of Sports, Arts and Culture Minister, Nathi Mthethwa, has announced the financial incentives for medal-winning Tokyo Games 2020 Paralympic and Olympic athletes and their coaches.
This news comes almost a month after South Africans raised R1 million for the Olympic athletes when SASCOC (South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee) were unsure if they would be able to pay bonuses to any medal wins.
SASCOC President Barry Hendriks then stated that the reports expressing that “the governing body would not be rewarding Tatjana Schoenmaker and Bianca Buitendag were wide off the mark” but could still not tell media what the talented athletes would receive.
“The organisation is in negotiations with partners over the issue of financial rewards to medallists but the amounts had not been finalised because these negotiations were ongoing.”
Hendriks explained that the “partners” in question included the various government departments and sponsors, but the SASCOC President could not define the amounts that the athletes would be receiving as the committee was waiting to see what was going to happen at the Paralympics.
“Our very first task was to deliver Team South Africa to the Olympics and the Paralympics; to secure funding from our Sponsors. Now we have to look at the Olympics and the Paralympics. And I need to stress that. What we do with the Olympic athletes, we have to apply to the Palampic athletes as well,” Hendriks explained to Mandy Weiner on the Midday Report.
Thankfully a call has now been made, and Mthethwa announced the following incentives for the athletes (from the South African government):
- Gold medal winners will be rewarded with R450 000 with their coach earning R120 000
- Silver medal winners will be rewarded with R220 000 with their coach earning R70 000
- Bronze medal winners will be rewarded with R100 000 with their coach winning R30 000
- World Record-breaking feats will earn athletes R180 000
The minister says that the department is guided by their core values of an athlete-centred and excellence-driven sports system.
“Our aim is to provide incentives and to applaud individual athletes and teams who continue to make our nation proud by displaying exceptional performance and attaining remarkable results.
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“Rewarding of excellence, especially every four years with the primary focus on Olympics has been a permanent feature in our sporting calendar,” Mthethwa said.
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Minister Mthethwa praised the athletes for their performances at the games and expressed great hope for athletes currently competing at the Paralympics.
“Let me take this opportunity to shower with felicitations, both our athletes for doing exceptionally well at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Thanks to both athletes for bringing pride and honour to our country and for uplifting our spirit, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am equally confident that our Paralympians will do better and bring more medals which will be worthy of various celebrations and form part of our class of 2021 great achievers,” he said.
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