The Philippine team's outstanding performance in the 3rd Asian Youth Games in Bahrain last year has earned them a historic reward. The team, which won seven golds, seven silvers, and 10 bronze medals, received incentives from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) during a simple ceremony at the PSC House on Sunday.
The PSC Chair, Patrick C. Gregorio, explained that this move marks a significant shift in the organization's approach. For the past 36 years, incentives were only given to elite athletes. However, the new PSC leadership believes that grassroots athletes are essential to the development of elite athletes.
The team received a total of P6.250 million, with each gold medalist receiving P500,000, each silver medalist receiving P250,000, and each bronze medalist receiving P100,000. These amounts do not include the incentives given to their respective coaches.
For the athletes, the incentives are seen as a bonus rather than a primary motivation. As Pi Durden Wangkay, a gold medalist in the boys' 200-meter run, stated, "Our focus is just to compete, and we consider the incentives as just a bonus."
Other gold medal winners who received cash rewards include Kram Airam Carpio of pencak silat, Charlie Ratcliff of mixed martial arts, Lyre Anie Ngina, Zeth Gabriel Bueno, Jan Brix Ramiscal, Tyron Jamborillo of Muay, and Isabella Butler of jiu-jitsu.
