While the International Olympic Committee will not pay bonuses to medal winners at the 2024 Paris Olympics, many countries and regions have introduced incentives to encourage athletes to compete for medals for their countries.
Many countries offer financial incentives, but there are also more varied rewards such as compulsory military service, cars, livestock, apartments and even free meals.
AFP Sports summarizes the awards for gold, silver and bronze medalists from around the world.
South Korea
Olympic medal winners are exempt from 18 months of mandatory military service. In South Korea, men under the age of 28 are required to serve in the military.
Asian Games Gold Medalists Exempt From Military Service For example, soccer star Son Heung-min won a gold medal at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, thereby avoiding military service.
Six South Korean archers, who won four of the five gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics, received a car from sponsor Hyundai.
Poland
The individual gold medalist will receive a cash prize of PLN 250,000 (about US$63,000), a two-room apartment, a diamond, a painting and a vacation voucher.
Silver and bronze medal winners will also receive substantial cash prizes and other gifts.
Indonesia
Apriani Rahayu and Gracia Poli, who won the women’s doubles badminton gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, reportedly received various incentives, including new homes from property developers and social media accounts from media influencers.
Regional leaders in Apriani province in southeastern Sulawesi promised to give her five cows, a piece of land and a house, Indonesia’s state news agency Antara reported.
Some media reported that PT Pegadian, an Indonesian government company, had pledged three kilograms of gold for the research.
Indonesia’s Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno said that five major tourist destinations in India can be vacationed for free.
Jordan
Ahmed Abu Ghosh won Jordan’s first gold medal in the men’s 68kg taekwondo event at the Rio Olympics. At that time, the Jordanian Olympic Committee awarded him a bonus of 100,000 dinars (about 140,000 US dollars) and the coach received half of the scholarship.
Abu Ghosh received other awards and gifts from local businesses, including a car and a luxury watch, and King Abdullah II of Jordan awarded him the First Class Order of Excellence.
Philippines
Weightlifter Adeline Diaz, who won the Philippines’ first-ever gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, was awarded two residences and earned the rank of Staff Sergeant in the Philippine Armed Forces.
Philippine Olympic Committee President Avram Tolentino told AFP that he gave houses and land to athletes who brought home medals with their own money.
Iraq
Iraqi officials say each of the Iraqi soccer players received 9 million dinars (about $7,200) and a piece of bonus money after qualifying for the Olympics.
After qualifying for the Olympics, weightlifter Ali Amar Yasir was awarded a $1 million bonus if he finished the track and field and a bronze medal or better.
Malaysia
Malaysia’s first female athlete to win a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, Greb, a food delivery and delivery company, has decided to give her free food orders for a year, so she will no longer face hunger.
The Malaysian government says it will receive a Chery SUV and a luxury apartment from property developer Top Residency.
India
After Neeraj Chopra won a gold medal in shot put at the Tokyo Olympics, Indigo promised him a year of unlimited free air travel and a businessman promised him a brand new seven-seater SUV.
Singapore
In the year At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Joseph School made history by defeating veteran athlete Michael Phelps to win the gold medal in the 100m butterfly. While the ride-hailing service Grab provided him and his family with free transportation for a year, the school shared the prize with a blind swimmer and a disabled swimmer.
Singapore Airlines donated one million air miles to the school, and the Singaporean government awarded a cash prize of S$1 million (about $750,000) to any gold medal winner.
Hong Kong, China
The Hong Kong government has given Paris Olympic fencing gold medalists Jiang Minxi and Zhang Jialang free lifetime passes on the MTR subway system and has promised the same for all medalists.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club will award HK$6 million (approximately US$770,000) to each gold medalist.
Hong Kong gym chain Pure is offering lifetime memberships to 35 Hong Kong athletes participating in the Paris Olympics, while domestic airline Cathay Pacific said it will offer all medal winners free business class flights for a year. (Fortune Chinese)
Translator: Liu Jinlong
Reviewer: Wang Hao
After Joseph’s school made history at the Rio Games in 2016, Grab offered him and his family free transport for a year. Singapore Airlines hits million air miles.
While the International Olympic Committee won’t award prize money to winners in Paris 2024, many countries and territories offer incentives for their athletes to bring home gold, silver or bronze.
Most of them are monetary, but the rewards can be more sophisticated – from forced military service to cars, cows, apartments and even free food supplies.
Here, AFP Sports takes a look at some of the world’s top contenders for gold, silver and bronze.
South Korea
An Olympic medal of any color exempts athletes from 18 months of mandatory military service.
A gold at the Asian Games will do the same, which star footballer Son Heung-min famously achieved to shake off a spell in battle fatigue in Jakarta in 2018.
At the Tokyo Games, the country’s six archers took home four of the five gold medals and were given cars by team sponsor Hyundai.
Poland
Gold medal winners in individual events receive a cash prize of 250,000 zlotys ($63,000), a two-room apartment, diamonds, a drawing and a holiday voucher.
Silver and bronze medal winners will also be awarded cash and other prizes.
Indonesia
Apriani Rahayu and Gracia Poli, who won the badminton women’s doubles gold in Tokyo three years ago, are said to have been promised prizes ranging from new homes to property developers to meatball restaurants to social media influencers.
Apriani was promised five cows, land and a house by the district governor of her hometown in southeast Sulawesi, state news agency Antara reported.
Another report said state-owned enterprise PT Pegadian promised the couple three kilograms of gold.
Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno said that five major tourist destinations in the country can enjoy free holidays.
Jordan
When athlete Ahmed Abughaush won the country’s first gold medal – in the men’s 68 kg event in Rio Taekwondo – the National Olympic Committee gave 100,000 dinars ($140,000) and half to his coach.
Abughaush received many other awards and gifts from local companies, including a car and a luxury watch, and King Abdullah II awarded him the Order of First Class of Distinction.
Philippines
Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz won two gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics for the country’s first ever gold medal and was awarded the rank of Staff Sergeant by the Philippine Armed Forces.
Iraq
According to officials, Iraqi soccer players were offered more than nine million dinars ($7,200) each and a place to compete in the Olympics.
After qualifying for the Games, weightlifter Ali Amar Yasir received a car and a place, and was promised a million dollars if he brought home a bronze medal or better.
Malaysia
Malaysia’s first Olympic gold medalist in Paris won’t go hungry, with a year’s worth of free food orders promised by ride-hailing company Grab.
They will also receive a Chery SUV as well as a luxury apartment from property developer Top Residency, the government said.
India
When Neeraj Chopra won the javelin gold in Tokyo, he was promised a year of unlimited free air travel by Indigo Airlines and a new seven-seater SUV by a businessman.
Singapore
Joseph’s School A swimmer.
Singapore Airlines has added one million air miles, while the government will award one million Singapore dollars ($750,000) for each gold medal.
hong kong
The Hong Kong government has awarded Paris gold medal fencers Vivian Kong and Cheng Ka with lifetime travel tickets on the city’s MTR subway system and promised the same to other medal winners.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club will award HK$6 million ($770,000) to individual gold medalists.
Gym chain Pure is offering lifetime memberships to 35 Hong Kong athletes competing in Paris, while the state’s Cathay Pacific airline said it would offer free business class travel for a year to all medal winners.