(KPL) Lao athletes who are able to bag golden medal from the 25th SEA Games will be awarded 20 million kip in cash with the 3rd class of Labour medal from the Government. While silver medalists would be given 10 million kip in cash with a Labour medal and bronze medalists 6 million kip in cash and a Labour medal.
Standing Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad advised all sport federations to take into account and look after the athletes’ training and practices closely and supply hygienically adequate food to them.
“The Government has also pledged to raise athletes’ allowances next week to 60,000 kip, from 40,000 kip per day and 25,000 kip in pocket money would remain,” Mr Somsavat’s statement came at a meeting of sport federations, technical committee and coordinating secretariat, held in Vientiane Capital, on 26 September.
Mr Somsavat who is also the President of the 25th SEA Games Organising Committee applauded the attention of all parties concerned in performing their duties with a high sense of responsibility, but some federations are required to address and improve complications.
The athletes training at the rehearsal centres should receive close attention, he called on the authorities of all parties.
The intensive policy of the Government is to stimulate the athletes’ performance with high spirits, which would result in best result at the 25th SEA Games, to be hosted by Laos in Vientiane Capital from 9 to 18 December.
For the selection procedure of real athletes, he advised that the selection must be fair, based on their own capacity and good behaviour and discipline. An athlete who breaks the rules during the pre-Games training period, they should be penalised according to the rule, he continued.
After the selection of real athletes is completed, the intensive policy to support athletes would be increased but all 25 federations should report regularly activities of athletes to the Government.
All federations should cooperate with contracted companies to inspect the readiness of venues and the equipment standard.
Thats PATHETIC, only around US$2500 for a athlete when they win gold, and how many Lao athletes will win gold??....not many we think,......from past Sea games how many medals has laos won?.....Don't think the laos government will be making any loss with these amounts, also the increase on athletes payments of 60,000 kip? Is this even enough on the amount of money each athlete has spent leading to the sea games to represent the country to put laos on the map?
Just also wondering what happened to all the money/funds donated prior to the SEA GAMES, wasn't there a charity night just last week where more than a million US DOLLARS was donated in total?
With is poor amount being given to athletes is just pathetic! The LAOS GOVERNMENT expect other countries to have generousity for these games and give more and more to Laos so WHERE is the generousity from the Laos Government to the athletes and it people?????????????????
And last but not least they call this SEA GAMES "GENEROUSITY, AMITY & HEALTHY LIFESTYLE", ....is there anywhere in those terms the Laos Government has met?????????????