The Ministry of Sports Development on Friday said it had begun payments of athletes and officials camp allowances and bonuses for winning medals at the 13th African Games, which ends in Ghana on Saturday (today).
“Today the 22nd of March, the athletes started receiving their camp allowances,” sports minister’s aide Diana-Mary Nsan said in a statement on Friday.
“A lot of athletes had doubts and fears but the trust and confidence has been restored.
“Athletes who won medals will also get their bonuses. Find attached bonuses for individual, doubles and team sports medal winners.”
According to the attached statement, individual gold, silver and bronze medallists will get $3000, $2000 and $1000 respectively, while doubles gold, silver and bronze winners are entitled to $5000, $3000 and $1500 respectively.
Also, gold, silver and bronze medallists in team sports of up to six athletes are to receive $6000, $4000 and $3000 respectively.
Gold, silver and bronze medallists in team sports with 12 athletes and above will get $12000, $7000 and $5000.
Coaches whose athletes or teams won gold, silver and bronze medals were rewarded with $5000, $2500 and $1500 respectively.
Meanwhile, members of the 15-player senior women’s cricket team at the African Games, who defied the odds to win bronze at the continental sports showpiece, do not know if they would be rewarded by the ministry.
This is because the team was dropped by the ministry before the Games, but only made the trip to Accra courtesy of the Nigeria Cricket Federation.
The female cricket team is entitled to $5000 but after adding to Nigeria’s medal haul at the Games, the players don’t know if they will benefit from the financial rewards after the ministry instructed that they should be excluded from the Games.
However, sports minister John Enoh told The PUNCH he had “addressed” the issue in Ghana but didn’t state if the female cricketers would be paid or not.
“I already addressed that in Accra, so I don’t expect that to be a problem. I met with them (athletes) in the Games Village and I addressed that (the issue),” Enoh said.
