The Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports has announced a significant increase in bonuses for Olympic medal winners. According to Muhammad Al-Shazly, spokesperson for the ministry, the new bonuses are part of a comprehensive system to support Egyptian athletes. The system includes various aspects of preparation, training camps, and technical and logistical support. This support begins with the National Project for Talent and Olympic Champions, which aims to discover and nurture young talent from a young age.
The National Project for Talent and Olympic Champions has 370 training centers across Egypt, focusing on discovering and qualifying talents, especially in individual sports like wrestling, taekwondo, judo, boxing, and table tennis, as well as team sports like basketball and volleyball. Al-Shazly explained that children are discovered through tests supervised by technical and academic experts to identify sports talents. They are then placed in training and preparation phases to reach the championship level and win medals.
Once athletes reach the "elite" level, they are transferred to the Olympic Center in Maadi, which serves as the main center for further preparation under official technical supervision in cooperation with the relevant sports federation. The technical management may include foreign expertise, depending on the specialization or need. This approach has been applied in federations like wrestling and weightlifting, which are considered promising.
There is a direct directive from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Egyptian government to expand the support system for champions. This includes covering 100% of the costs of preparations and internal and external training camps. The directive also involves modifying the list of honors for champions and increasing bonuses. Al-Shazly emphasized that the list of honors has seen significant improvements.
Previously, the bonuses for medal winners at different levels were much lower. For instance, athletes winning medals at the African level used to receive around 15,000 EGP, while those winning at the World Championships would get around 70,000 to 80,000 EGP. Currently, the bonuses for World Championship medals have increased to 800,000 EGP, and those for African Championship medals have risen to 200,000 EGP.
The bonus for winning a gold medal at the Olympics has been significantly increased from 750,000 EGP to 5 million EGP. This change is part of the updated list of honors. The new bonuses aim to provide greater incentives for Egyptian athletes to excel in international competitions. The comprehensive support system is designed to enhance the country's sports performance.
The increased bonuses and the comprehensive support system reflect the Egyptian government's commitment to promoting sports and supporting athletes. The changes are expected to have a positive impact on Egyptian sports, encouraging athletes to strive for excellence and bring more medals to the country.
Key points
- The Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports has increased the bonus for Olympic gold medalists to 5 million EGP.
- The National Project for Talent and Olympic Champions includes 370 training centers across Egypt.
- The bonuses for medal winners at World and African Championships have also been increased.
