Mongolian Government to Financially Support Athletes

The official ceremony, where President Ts.Elbegdorj received athletes of the National Olympic Team, took place yesterday at the Governmental Palace. This initiative extends real governmental support to the athletes. Prime Minister N.Altankhuyag and Deputy Minister and head of the London 2012 team of Mongolia, M.Enkhbold were present at the ceremony— as well as the victorious athletes and coaches of every generation who earned medals from the Olympics and World Championship competitions. Deputy Minister M.Enkhbold opened the ceremony and reported the results and achievements of the National Olympic Team at the London Olympics to the President and presented him the Mongolian flag, previously hoisted in sky of London. The President made a decree to grant monthly cash prizes to Mongolian citizens for their lifetime who earned medals from the Olympics or World Championship competitions. This initiative was discussed and approved at the government meeting on August 16 and was officially proclaimed at the ceremony.

According to the decree that gave orientation to the government, each athlete who earned an Olympic gold medal would to be rewarded with 4 million MNT, a silver medallist would receive 3 million MNT, and a bronze medallist would gain 2 million MNT per month for their lifetime. Additionally, athletes who gained a gold medal from the World Championships which have the same weight or distance category as the Olympics would receive 2 million MNT, athletes who took home silver medals would receive one million MNT, and bronze medallists would get 500 thousand MNT each per month. The government initiative to grant the cash rewards is set to start from January 1 of 2013 and the athletes will receive the grants according to the number of the medals they took home.

Olympic and World Championship medalists including veteran Olympians J.Munkbat, Kh.Bayanmunkh, Ch.Damdinsharav, and Z.Oidov, and London Olympic medalists S.Battsetseg and N.Tuvshinbayar were saying that this decree to grant lifetime monthly rewards for athletes would be a significant support for athletes’ life and training, would inspire athletes to desire for greater success and achievement, and would be a great stimulus for Mongolia to have many world-acknowledged athletes in the future.

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