sea games

Tao Li with her 100m backstroke gold that she won on November 16th. It was one of seven gold medals that she won in Indonesia, earning her a S$41,250 payday. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images for SSC)

Wednesday, February 1, 2012 — Swimmer Tao Li earned herself S$41,250 from the recent 26th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Indonesia. Her haul of seven gold medals and one bronze from the pool netted her the biggest reward among the 78 athletes who also received theirs on Wednesday evening at the Raffles Town Club.

Tao Li, together with 49 other Team Singapore athletes from five water sports events — canoeing, sailing, swimming, water polo, and water ski — earned themselves S$335,000 or close to 65 percent of the total S$525,000 bonus given out under the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC)’s Multi-Million Dollar Award Programme (MAP).

The second- and third-highest earners under the SNOC’s awards scheme are also swimmers. Amanda Lim and Joseph Schooling earned themselves $26,250 and $20,000 respectively. Altogether, the swimmers came away from the night with a total of S$190,000 in rewards.

Table tennis and sailing, with S$65,000 and S$50,000 respectively, were the next two sports that saw their athletes with the highest rewards. The three sports have been the most well-rewarded sports for their performances at the SEA Games since the 2007 edition, in the same order.

The total amount of S$525,000 disbursed under the MAP for the 2011 SEA Games is the highest since the 2007 SEA Games, for which S$520,000 were disbursed. For the 2009 Games, S$460,000 were disbursed.

A total of 413 Team Singapore athletes competed in the 26th SEA Games in Indonesia from 11 to 22 November 2011. They brought back 160 medals (42 gold, 45 silver, 73 bronze) and secured the fifth position on the medal table, ahead of the Philippines, bettering the nation’s position of sixth at the 25th SEA Games, Laos.

Click here for a fact sheet of the SNOC Multi-Million Dollar Award Programme for the 26th SEA Games in Indonesia.