Rewards for athletes

Responding to online speculation about the rewards Chinese medal winners at the London Olympics will receive, the General Administration of Sport said this week that it does not have any specific plans to reward athletes. But it is a fact that Chinese Olympic medal winners have been rewarded in the past. So the public has the right to know how the winning athletes will be rewarded this year, says an article in Huaxi Metropolis Daily. Excerpts:

The administration gave a similar response after the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

A garland of olive branches was the reward for the champions at the ancient Olympic Games in Greece. But it is obviously far from enough to reward them with only garlands today. The public accepts that medal winners nowadays should be rewarded for their achievements, hard work and sportsmanship.

The sports authorities, or the local governments of their hometowns, or enterprises have rewarded the Chinese medal winners at previous Olympics. Undoubtedly medal winners deserve rewarding, and rewards from enterprises are nothing controversial.

Currently the sports authorities have guidelines on rewards to encourage athletes and their coaches, but no details have been made public.

Rather than simply deny there are rewards, the sports authorities should make public the rewards they offer athletes and their coaches in different fields. Only by doing so can they dispel the public's concerns.

(China Daily 07/19/2012 page9)