Former PM Adds Bonuses for Games Medalists
Tea Banh, personal adviser to the King and chairman of the Cambodia SEA Games Organizing Committee, handed over the money on Nov. 14 at the Ministry of National Defense. Photo: NOCC
- By Mom Pitu
- November 15, 2023 10:50 AM
PHNOM PENH – Former PM Hun Sen has rewarded athletes who won medals from the 32nd SEA Games and the 12th Para Games with nearly $7 million in bonuses from his personal budget.
Tea Banh, personal adviser to the King and chairman of the Cambodia SEA Games Organizing Committee, handed over the money on Nov. 14 at the Ministry of National Defense.
Of the total, $5.8 million or 23,343,600,000 riels went to SEA Games athletes and $1.2 million or 4,791,300,000 riels was for Para Games athletes.
Cambodian athletes won a combined total of 353 medals, with 90 gold, 92 silver and 171 bronze medals.
Bonuses from the former PM were given to 610 SEA Games athletes who had won 282 medals in individual and team events. These included 81 gold, 74 silver and 127 bronze medals.
In addition, 148 Para games athletes won 73 medals in individual and team events. These included nine gold, 19 silver and 45 bronze medals.
Nhan Sokvisal, director of the Department of International Relations at the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia, said gold medalists got another $5,000 each, with $3,000 for silver and $2,000 for bronze.
The athletes who won the most gold medals, Vovinam athletes Pal Chhor Raksmy and Pov Sokha, will be rewarded according to the number of medals won. Vovinam athletes Pal Chhor Raksmy won four gold, one silver and one bronze in total.
On June 27, Tea Banh also gave prize money from the government to the coaches, assistant coaches and athletes who won gold, silver and bronze medals during the Games, with a total amount of more than 27 billion riels or nearly $ 6.6 million.
In total, the government and former PM awarded almost $14 million to the Games athletes.
In February, Cambodia SEA Games Organizing Committee secretary-general Vath Chamroeun said gold medalists would receive $10,000, with $7,000 for silver medalists, and $3,000 for bronze medalists.
Originally written in Khmer for ThmeyThmey, this story was translated by Rin Ousa for Cambodianess.
