Asian countries give million bonuses for Olympic gold – but not the Nordic

Filipino Hidilyn Diaz won gold in weightlifting – and won the equivalent of about $655.000
PHOTO: CHRIS GRAYTHEN / GETTY IMAGES ASIAPAC

Several countries around the world pay their Olympic gold medal winners million bonuses and among the nations participating in the Olympics, Singapore and Indonesia reportedly pay the most for winning an Olympic gold medal.

Expressen writes that competing for Singapore earns golden medal winners SGD 1 million (around $735.000), silver medals are awarded SGD 500.000 while bronze medal winners take home SGD 250.000. Indonesia is on the same level as Singapore, along with Hong Kong and Taiwan and the four nations are in a division for themselves. In Thailand, a gold medal at the Olympic games was recently rewarded with THB 12 million which is just about $365.000

Filipino Hidilyn Diaz has also attracted attention after she took home the Philippines’ first Olympic gold ever – 97 years after the country with over 100 million inhabitants participated in the Olympics for the first time. BT writes that the Philippine weightlifter won the 55-kilo weightlifting class but she is not only rewarded with a gold medal, she will also receive 33 million pesos or what equals just under $655.000 together a house and a plot of land from courtesy of the government of the Philippines and the private sector. 

But it is looking differently in the Nordic region and in Denmark, a gold medal is only rewarded with a bonus of DKK 100.000 or what equals to just under $16.000. Expressen writes that Swedish and Norwegian athletes are not rewarded any bonuses but some athletes have bonuses written into their contracts with sponsors. 

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