Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup has decided to honor all Vietnamese athletes who won medals at the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in the Philippines with extrinsic rewards as encouragement for their accomplishments at the regional multi-sport event.
The multifaceted group announced on its website on Tuesday morning that the firm will give out cash prizes of VND20 million (US$860), VND10 million ($430), and VND5 million ($215) for each gold, silver, and bronze medal, respectively, claimed by any athlete in any sport at the SEA Games.
The budget for these rewards totals up to more than VND5 billion ($215,000), the company said.
Besides, Vingroup said it will have additional rewards for the Vietnamese U22 men’s football team, who won the long-awaited gold medal after smashing Indonesia 3-0 in the finale of the category on Tuesday night.
The conglomerate will also present an e-scooter worth VND39.9 million ($1,700) and VND20 million ($863.14) in cash to each member of the national women’s football team, who clinched their sixth SEA Games gold medal after defeating Thailand 1-0 in a 120-minute game on Sunday night.
The female team previously won gold medals in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, and 2017.
As four of their six gold medals were claimed under the reign of head coach Mai Duc Chung, Vingroup said it will also reward Chung with a VinFast Lux A sedan car worth VND1.35 billion ($58,250).
“We understand and treasure the efforts, sacrifice, and contributions of all athletes in all sports for Vietnam,” Vingroup’s vice-chairman and general director Nguyen Viet Quang was quoted as saying in a statement posted on its website.
Vietnam won 96 gold, 85 silver, and 103 bronze medals as of 11:00 pm on Tuesday, ranking second in the medal table behind hosts the Philippines.
Team Vietnam consists of 568 athletes competing in 43 sports, with a target of winning at least 60 gold medals and ranking in the top three in the medal table.
Several other enterprises also showed their support for the Vietnamese sporting delegation to the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines with monetary rewards.
In October, Vingroup and the Vietnam Football Federation officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement on supporting the development of Vietnamese football.
The cooperation specifically focuses on training and preparing the Vietnamese football teams for international tournaments from 2019 to 2024, as well as reaching the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Source: Tuoitrenews
