2024-04-13 08:40:24
Monaco: World Athletics has announced to give prize money of $ 50,000 i.e. Rs 41.60 lakh to the gold medal winners of 48 track and field events in the Paris Olympics. The move by World Athletics will pave the way for awards to all three medal winners at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. India is hopeful of gold from javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra in Paris Olympics. Neeraj won the country’s first gold medal in athletics in the Tokyo Olympics. With this, he became the second player in the country to win a gold medal in the individual event after shooter Abhinav Bindra.
With this historic decision, WA will become the first international federation to award prize money at the Olympic Games. The move could also cause friction between WA and the International Olympic Committee as it has not received formal approval from the parent body.
Athletes will get encouragement
“World Athletics… will become the first international federation to award prize money at the Olympic Games,” WA said in a statement. WA will financially reward athletes who achieve great success at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.’ World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said the introduction of prize money for Olympic gold medal winners is a ‘pivotal moment’ for the international body and the sport of athletics as a whole.
He said, ‘A total of $2.4 million which is approximately Rs 18.63 billion has been given for the prize from the revenue allocation of the International Olympic Committee, which is given to World Athletics every four years. It will be used to award an amount of $50,000 to athletes who win gold medals in each of the 48 athletics sports.
Expansion will be done for silver and bronze also
“This initiative from World Athletics includes a commitment to expand to silver and bronze winners at the LA 2028 Olympic Games,” he said. Relay teams will also be awarded the same amount, which will be shared among all the players of the team. He said the format and structure of prize money related to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will be announced closer to the time of the Games. The payment of this prize money will, however, be subject to World Athletics’ verification process, which will include athletes undergoing normal anti-doping procedures and following other required procedures.