PH SEA Games athletes get P16-m incentive

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/SEA GAMES POOL

Filipino athletes will rake in a windfall of almost P16 million from their exploits in the recent Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian Games.

Philippine Sports Commission Chair Butch Ramirez said President Rodrigo Duterte would personally hand out the cash incentives during the athletes’ courtesy call at Malacañang Palace on Sept. 13.

The Philippines collected 24 gold, 33 silver and 64 bronze medals from 121 athletes who competed in 37 sports to end up sixth among 11 countries at the biennial sportsfest.

Double-gold performer Trenten Anthony Beram emerged as the biggest winner for topping the men’s 200m and 400m in track and field worth P600,000 out of the P7.2 million that will be given to the gold medalists.

The Filipino-American track star will also get his share from the bronze medal that they captured in the men’s 4x100m relay.

“Although I did not go to Kuala Lumpur, I monitored the performances of our athletes and I salute them for a job well done,” said Ramirez.

Silver medalists earned a total of P4,950,000 while bronze finishers will have a combined cash bonus of P3,840,000.