For athletes and para-athletes from a tiny country like Singapore to even qualify for the Olympics and Paralympics is a momentous achievement, and they should be rewarded for doing so even if no medals are won, said NMP Usha Chandradas in Parliament on Wednesday (Oct 16). She said the rewards could take the form of better profiling and publicity to encourage private sponsorship, or better outright cash awards and allowances. She also called for parity in monetary awards for Olympic and Paralympic medallists. She noted that a primary sponsor of the awards is the Tote Board which, as a statutory board of the Ministry of Finance, could assist in acquiring the additional funding needed. Ms Chandradas also asked if the Government could consider exempting the cash awards from income tax, to send a clear message that they were a “pure reward” to the recipients for a lifetime of hard work. She said athletes and para-athletes are required to donate a significant part of their awards back to national sports associations anyway, while earnings from private sponsorships and endorsements would also be taxed.

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