Editorial | Hong Kong’s athletes deserve more income support
- A coming review of sports institute subsidies will hopefully give existing and future athletes a stronger footing to pursue their goals
Money is never far away from the world of sports. While some top athletes and sport stars are making a fortune from contracts, sponsorships and endorsements, there are also those who do not receive any pay cheques or bonuses for competing in the Olympic Games.
In Hong Kong, the top athletes are relatively well-covered by training grants and rewards for winning medals. But many more aspiring athletes are living with subsidies that seem far too low to keep them soldiering on.
Badminton player Lee Cheuk-yiu was not crying wolf when he lamented that many athletes had given up because of low salaries. The 27-year-old was referring to his HK$7,000 (US$898) income when he quit school to become a full-time athlete.
“I was 16 years old and HK$7,000 was like pocket money to me. But for athletes who do not have a higher rank, it is their monthly salary.” The level should be at least on par with the city’s minimum wage, he added.
Under the Hong Kong Sports Institute’s elite training grant, those who have qualified to compete in the Olympic Games are paid HK$11,520 a month. The amount increases with rankings and medals in the Games and other competitions, with medallists in world championships and the Olympics receiving a standard grant up to HK$44,500.