Incentivising excellence: JCAIAS cash rewards honour outstanding Hong Kong, China athletes at Paris Olympics

Around the world, citizens are celebrating the heroic achievements of the incredible athletes who competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics, as another unforgettable fortnight of intense competition comes to an end.

Prior to the summer Games, The Hong Kong Jockey Club announced an increase in cash rewards through the Jockey Club Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme (JCAIAS) of 20% compared to the previous Olympics in Tokyo. The scheme aims to encourage and reward elite Hong Kong, China athletes, including those who bring home medals and those finishing in fourth to eighth places in individual and team events at the Olympics.

A total of HK$17,625,000 will be rewarded through the JCAIAS to athletes returning from Paris in recognition of their sporting excellence. Notably, fencers Vivian Kong Wai-man and Edgar Cheung Ka-long will each receive HK$6 million for their gold-medal-winning swordsmanship. After claiming not one but two bronze medals, swimmer Siobhan Haughey will receive HK$3 million under the scheme. Wong Chun-ting and Doo Hoi-kem, who notched an impressive fourth place in table tennis mixed doubles, will be awarded HK$1.5 million. Tang Chun-man and Tse Ying-suet, who reached the quarter-finals in the mixed doubles badminton event, will receive HK$750,000. Finally, Lo Wai Fung who finished in seventh place in taekwondo will also receive HK$375,000.

The Jockey Club’s Chief Executive Officer, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, wrote about the significance of sports development in his blog. “The support our athletes received from Hong Kong fans in Paris and in Hong Kong has shown how important sports is for our society to come together,” he noted. “More should be done for our sports development. It is not only important for the development of our top athletes but also for character-building, nurturing mental strength and developing the mindset of persistent improvement and overcoming difficulties.”

The Club congratulates all the gifted athletes who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Hong Kong, China delegation, with its display of dedication, passion and incredible skills, has once again made the city proud.

(Community Information)