New government cash reward scheme a game changer in our sports
President William Ruto with World 1,500 metres and 5,000 metres champion Faith Kipyegon (left) and World 800 metres gold medallist Mary Moraa at Talanta Plaza in Nairobi on September 1, 2023 during the opening of the building.
What you need to know:
- The cash awards scheme introduced by the government gives excellent ground for Olympics preparation and participation.
- Sports is professional, and in a generation that supports artistry, now more than before, there are more and more young people taking sports as their profession.
There are 328 days to go before the Paris 2024 Olympics, and all athletes aspiring to be on this big stage now have an even bigger motivation to work towards qualifying for the coveted Games.
The cash awards scheme introduced by the government gives excellent ground for Olympics preparation and participation.
Sports is professional, and in a generation that supports artistry, now more than before, there are more and more young people taking sports as their profession.
Talent should pay, and for a long time this has been an ongoing conversation about recognizing and compensating our talented young men and women appropriately for putting the country on the world map. The current cash award scheme by the government is getting us there.
The award scheme gives a significant increase in the previous cash award to podium finishers in games like Olympics and Commonwealth, in addition to introducing the awards to games like Youth Games, world championships and masters events.
Previously a gold, silver and bronze medallist in Olympics was awarded Sh750,000, Sh500,000 and Sh350,000 respectively. This has been revised to Sh3 million, Sh2 million and Sh1 million respectively.
Olympics, Paralympics, Special Olympics and Deaflympics have been put at the highest level and fall in this category.
The tiered scheme benefits all the other major international games from Commonwealth Games, World Championships, Youth Olympics, African Games, Regional Championships and for the very first time ever, even Masters Championships.
Non-financial benefits have also been proposed, with the Ministry of Sports requiring that the athletes be provided with a mandatory practical financial management training to equip them with skills to manage their cash awards. What is even more unique is that the team official of the team on the podium – that is coaches, managers, trainers – will also be recognised and awarded.
The impact that this will have is an even greater motivation for our sports men and women to play sports to the highest level. It is apparent that one gives more effort when they know they are working towards a reward.
This means that we have the potential of lifestyle transformation of our sports people. The cash awards, if well invested can support the livelihood of a family.
The youth athletes for the first time are getting a substantive award for their efforts. What this means is that a youngster can pay for their education from excelling in sports competitions. The domino effect on their families is immense. Parents and schools will also have the motivation to give greater support to their children to practice sport.
We need to appreciate also that beyond getting a cash award for being on the podium, team managements of the various games have ensured that they are earning a training allowance and competition allowance. This means that once an athlete makes it to a national team, they already have an earning potential.
From one strategic action to another, the tide is turning for our sports people.
Mutuku is the Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya. [email protected]
