The Paris Olympics 2024 is underway, and Team India has clinched three bronze medals so far. Manu Bhaker made the nation proud as she won the bronze medal in the shooting event – Women’s 10m Air Pistol, and also took home the bronze medal for the Mixed Team 10m Air Pistol event alongside Sarabjot Singh. Professional shooter Swapnil Kusale is also a bronze medalist with his triumph at the Men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions event.
Manu Bhaker scripted history as the first Indian woman to win a shooting medal at the Olympics as well as the first Indian woman to clinch multiple Olympic medals in a single edition. All eyes are now on Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra to bring home another gold medal. Speaking of gold medals, you’d be curious to know which nation pays the most prize money to its athletes if they strike gold at the Olympics. We’ve got you covered!
Olympics 2024: This nation pays the most prize money to its athletes if they win a gold medal; and it’s not the US, Spain or Italy
Hong Kong — which competes separately from China at the Olympics — will pay the most prize money to its athletes if they bring home a gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. According to CNBC, Hong Kong bestows a cash prize of $768,000 (approximately Rs 6.43 crore) for finishing atop the podium. Fencers Man Wai Vivian Kong and Cheung Ka Long have won a gold medal each for Hong Kong at the Paris Olympics 2024, so far.
Man Wai Vivian Kong won at the Women’s Épée Individual event while Cheung Ka Long took gold at the Men’s Foil Individual event. Hong Kong will give a cash prize of $384,000 (approximately Rs 3.21 crore) and $192,000 (approximately Rs 1.6 crore) to their silver and bronze medalists, respectively.
Not too far behind Hong Kong is Singapore, which is also paying a six-figure cash prize to their gold medalists at the Paris Olympics 2024. The country will be bestowing a financial reward of $745,000 (approximately Rs 6.23 crore) to their gold medal-winning athletes. Rounding up the Top 5 countries are Indonesia ($300,000 or Rs 2.51 crore), Israel ($271,000 or Rs 2.26 crore) and the Republic of Kazakhstan ($250,000 or Rs 2 crore), according to CNBC. US athletes will receive a cash prize of $38,000 (approximately Rs 31.81 lakh) if they win a gold medal at the Olympics 2024.
India, as of 2019, gives a financial bonus of Rs 75 lakh for gold medalists, Rs 50 lakh for silver medalists and Rs 30 lakh for bronze medalists, as unveiled by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
