The government has approved the doubling of cash bonuses for the Romanian athletes who won medals at the Tokyo Olympics, as well as for those who finished the competitions in the fifth or sixth places, the Romanian Ministry of Sports announced. The athletes participating in the Tokyo Paralympics will also benefit from the same measure, according to News.ro.

Thus, Romanian athletes will receive the following bonuses: 1st place - EUR 140,000 (from EUR 70,000 set before), 2nd place - EUR 112,000 (from EUR 56,000), 3rd place - EUR 84,000 (up from EUR 42,000), 4th place - EUR 56,000 (from EUR 28,000), 5th place - EUR 42,000 (from EUR 21,000), and 6th place - EUR 28,000 (up from EUR 14,000).

“This normative act’s approval is a great achievement, and I’m glad I had the support of my colleagues and partners in the coalition. This comes to prove that the Romanian government understands and respects the importance of sport and sports performance, that it appreciates and rewards the work and efforts behind these results,” sports minister Eduard Novak said, quoted in the Sports Ministry’s press release.

Minister Novak, a road and track racing cyclist, is one of the seven Romanian athletes participating in the Tokyo Paralympic Games. Team Romania also includes Alex Bologa, Bobi Simion, Eduard Moescu, Tucaliuc Octavian - Vasile, Tabita Vulturar, and Patru Eugen.

Romania ended the Tokyo Olympics with a total of four medals (one gold and three silver), ranking 46th in the medal count.

President Klaus Iohannis also awarded state decorations to the nine Romanian athletes who won medals at the Tokyo Olympics.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Peter Kovak/Dreamstime.com)