Canteen talk: Incentives for national athletes

As the debate rages on whether the difference in prize money awarded to Olympic and Paralympic athletes in Singapore is justified, we find out what students think.

Whether you are physically handicapped or able-bodied, the Paralympics is still a sports competition. I think if Joseph Schooling can get S$1 million, Yip Pin Xiu should also get the same amount.

Laura Lam, 22
HSS, Year 4

Having that big a gap between the athletes’ incentives is a bad statement in terms of what they are promoting and what they stand for.  It is almost like devaluing the Paralympics by having a huge difference in the prize money.”

Minju Kim, 21
ADM, Year 3

I think these standards were set because the competitions are of a different level. But I think this difference is too large. The prize money Paralympians get should be at least half of what the Olympic athletes get.”

Guo Kexin, 19
MSE, Year 2

The difference in prize money makes sense. The Olympic Games gets a bigger pool of participants; the competition is more intense. But the difference in prize money is not fully justified by the difference in the level of competition.

Yang Yang, 26
REP, Year 4