North Korea and Singapore, two Asian countries that are very different geographically, politically and economically, but after the Hangzhou Asian Games, the way the two countries treat gold medalists has attracted widespread public attention. So what is the treatment of each country?
The Hangzhou Asian Games came to an end, with North Korea winning 11 gold medals, ranking tenth in the medal table. This medal count is a good performance for North Korea, a country that returns to the big international competition after five years. These gold medals not only represent the strength of North Korean sports, but also show the loyalty and love of their athletes to the country.
How will gold medalists be treated when they return home? First of all, the country's supreme leader Kim Jong-un personally received him, which is the supreme honor for any North Korean citizen. Not only that, but they will also receive a large cash prize, a home in Pyongyang and a car. What's more, these gold medalists will receive full lifetime salaries, so that they will no longer worry about financial problems in the future. The concept of "one person wins gold, the whole family enjoys happiness" is also reflected in North Korea: family members will receive Pyongyang hukou and enjoy the best education, life and medical treatment in North Korea. Each gold medalist will also be awarded the People's Sports Medal, the supreme honor for North Korean athletes and their families.
On the other hand, Singapore's Asian Games gold medal treatment places more emphasis on monetary rewards. A gold medalist can receive up to S$200,000, equivalent to 1.07 million RMB. Like track and field athlete Andreas Pereira, with one gold and one bronze, he won 250,000 Singapore dollars, about 1.34 million yuan, which even exceeds the total reward of six gold medals of Chinese swimming star Zhang Yufei. If it is a collective event such as the three major ball gold medals, the whole team can get 400,000 Singapore dollars, about 2.14 million yuan.
In addition to Singapore and North Korea, other Asian countries such as India also have their own unique reward systems. In addition to offering a cash prize of INR 240,000, India also offers a well-staffed civil service position for the gold medalist. For example, Venesh Bogart, a gold medalist in wrestling at the last Asian Games, is now a civil servant in the Indian Railways.
Overall, the Asian Games are not as good as the Olympics, but for Asian countries, behind every gold medal there is endless glory and expectations. Different countries have different reward systems, but they all recognize and respect the hard work of athletes.