Thursday, 4 February 2010

Cambodia to award SEA Game medalists

http://www.investors.com/

via CAAI News Media

PHNOM PENH, Feb 04, 2010 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- In order to encourage and promote sports sector, Cambodian government is ready to spend 200,000 U.S. dollars to award Cambodian athletes who had won medals from the Southeast Asian Games (SEA)recently held in Laos, an Olympic official said here on Thursday.

Vath Chamroeun, secretary general of the National Olympic Committee, said the medalists from the SEA Games held in Laos in last December will receive awards from the government by Feb. 12.

He said the price of the awards will be varied depending on the medals he or she earned.

Gold medalist will get 6,000 U.S. dollars, silver medalist will get 4,000 U.S. dollars while bronze medalist will get 2,000 U.S. dollars.

"It is a great incentive to Cambodian athletes to be awarded by the government," said Vath Chamroeun.

The award is considered high as Cambodia's civil servants receive an average wage of 40 to 50 U.S. dollars monthly.

After the SEA Games ended, Cambodia brought home 40 medals, three gold, 10 silver and 27 bronze.

Cambodia drafted a sub-decree in 2006, the only new incentive to award Cambodian athletes who will win any medals at any regional or international sports tournaments.

Vath Chamroeun said this award will be the second after the first one was conferred to Cambodian athletes in 2007 after they had won some medals during the 24th SEA Games in Thailand.

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