Sports Briefs
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THE National Sports Reform Committee has proposed that any Nigerian gold medalist from the next Olympics should earn as much as N10 million for the feat. The proposal for proper cash rewards is part of the committee’s recommendations to motivate sportsmen and women in the Nigeria, submitted to Solomon Dalung, minister of youths and sports.
The team headed by Godwin Kienka advised that the country needed to reward the athletes meaningfully like some other countries as a way of inspiring them more. The committee also recommended that a silver medalist should get N5 million and N2.5 million for bronze. The cash package is categorised into different levels for major international events like the Commonwealth Games, World Championships, World University Games and the All Africa Games/African Championships.
The committee recommended N5 million reward for a gold winner at the Commonwealth Games/World championships/World University Games while N3 million and N1 million is for the next levels winners. The various medalists in the All Africa Games and African championships are to be rewarded with N3 million, N2 million and N1 million, for gold, silver and bronze medal, respectively, going by the advice of the members of the committee that sat from April 17, 2016 until the report was handed to the minister after the Rio Olympics.
The document submitted to the minister and obtained by The PUNCH states in 5.5.2, under the heading National Cash Rewards, “The reward is strictly for each medal not medalists. For instance, team sports and relays count as one medal. In addition, the rewards should apply to all officially recognised sports. This performance reward system has been used effectively in the USA where the United States Olympic Committee gives $25,000 for gold; $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze. Canada, more or less, adopts the same reward system.”
The committee then suggested different sources for the funding of the rewards. They listed the Federal Government, the National Lottery Fund and the Central Bank of Nigeria amongst others.
— Sep 19, 2016 @ 01:00 GMT
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