A $455k windfall
SEA Games athletes get bonus, urged to step up in Asian, C'wealth meets
By Terrence Voon
HUGE SUM
'I'm in a bit of a shock, this is a lot of money. I have no plans for the money yet, but there are quite a lot of people I will need to thank.'
QUAH TING WEN, who received the biggest SEA Games reward of $40,000 along with fellow swimmer Tao Li
THANKING OTHERS
'I've never received such a big hongbao before. I'm going to save it, and treat my family and friends to dinner.'
GOH JIAYI, 15-year-old shooting champion
FOR EVERYBODY
'Recognition is very important for athletes when it comes to success or failure. But I don't see it as a recognition for winning. It's for the whole team.'
JAMES WONG, SEA Games discus champion for an eighth time in Laos after coming out of retirement
GOOD POTENTIAL
'I was particularly happy that about half the team were actually there for the first time and slightly over half of them were under the age of 21.'
MR TEO CHEE HEAN, president of the Singapore National Olympic Council
SILVER LINING
'I think there are a lot of good young athletes. The way the sprint quartet performed got us all cheered.'
MR TEO, on the men's 4x100m relay team that set a new national record en route to a surprise silver
THE BIG WINNERS
Singapore swimmers getting together as they toss yusheng - raw fish salad - at the SEA Games MAP awards and dinner last night. From left are Joshua Lim, Clement Lim, Zach Ong, Tao Li (winner of four individual golds and one relay gold), Amanda Lim and Mylene Ong. -- ST PHOTO: LIM SIN THAI
DESPITE being the smallest-ever contingent for a SEA Games, Singapore's athletes plundered 33 gold medals in Laos last December.
Their reward: A $455,000 hongbao, handed out just in time for the Chinese New Year.
The money was given out yesterday under the auspices of the Multi-Million Dollar Award Programme (MAP), which is aimed at rewarding Singaporeans who win gold medals at major Games.
This year's golden haul was achieved by a contingent of just 192 athletes competing in 18 sports. At the previous SEA Games in Korat, Thailand, a 423-strong contingent turned in 43 golds.
Speaking to reporters at the MAP awards and appreciation dinner at the Fairmont Singapore last night, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said the outstanding showing in Laos was an indication of even better things to come.
'I was particularly happy that about half the team were actually there for the first time and slightly over half of them were under the age of 21,' said Mr Teo, who is also Minister for Defence and the president of the Singapore National Olympic Council. 'I thought that was a very good sign for the future.'
Under the MAP, athletes receive $10,000 for each individual gold, $15,000 for a team event, and $30,000 for a team sport. And boosting the windfall this year was a new incentive that paid out an extra $5,000 for athletes who break a SEA Games record en route to a gold medal.
