Are Taiwan’s taxpayers ready to pay NT$21.6 million (US$704,000) to reward a team finishing in last place at the Beijing Olympics?
The Sports Affairs Council decided on Friday that they were not, issuing revised guidelines that require the baseball and softball teams to finish at least sixth in their eight-team Olympic tournaments to earn cash prizes.
The council announced on Friday adjustments to its guidelines on paying “Guo Guang scholarships” and awarding medals to athletes who excel at the Olympic Games to account for the specific competition formats of the 15 events in which Taiwanese athletes are entered.
Under the Sports Affairs Council’s existing program, athletes finishing in the top eight in their events are eligible for cash awards.
Gold medalists will receive NT$12 million, silver medalists NT$7 million, bronze medalists NT$5 million, fourth-place finishers NT$3 million, fifth and sixth-place finishers NT$1.5 million and those who finish in seventh and eighth-place NT$900,000.
But the council faced a dilemma as the Olympic baseball and softball tournaments feature only eight teams.
Had the baseball team finished last in its event, which would likely include an embarrassing loss to hosts China, each of the 24 players would still have received NT$900,000, or a total of NT$21.6 million, under the guidelines.
Under the revised program, the baseball and softball teams will receive monetary rewards if they place sixth or better and will receive a medal for finishing seventh.
The original guidelines will still apply to athletes competing in other sports.
In taekwondo and judo, competitions that finish with two third-place, fifth-place and seventh-place finishers, local athletes will be awarded based on those placings.
In tennis, badminton and the individual table tennis events, where no distinction is made between quarter-final losers (fifth to eighth place), local athletes in those tournaments who are ousted in the quarter-finals will receive a NT$1.2 million award.
Medal winners will be able to collect their rewards in a lump sum or as a lifetime monthly annuity, with gold medalists earning NT$75,000 per month, silver medalists NT$38,000 per month and bronze medalists NT$24,000 per month.
Taiwan will send 80 athletes to the Games, which start in Beijing on Friday. They will hope to improve on the nation’s showing in Athens in 2004, where Taiwan won a total of five medals, two golds, two silvers and a bronze.
Taiwan’s four entries in taekwondo could all contend for medals, depending on their draws and the mood of the often arbitrary judges. Taiwan’s archery teams are also seen as having a chance to repeat their performances in Athens.
Other hopefuls include tennis players Chuang Chia-jung and Chan Yung-jan who are looking to grab glory in the women’s doubles.
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