How some of Hong Kong’s top athletes are cashing in at National Games
The Jockey Club Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme means winners get more than medals and bragging rights, and two athletes are top of the pile
As Hong Kong’s athletes bask in the glory of their sporting achievements at the National Games, the city’s stars are taking home more than just gold, silver and bronze.
That’s because medals and bragging rights also come with cash from the Jockey Club Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme, which also covers events such as the Winter and Summer Olympics, the Asian Games, the Paralympic Games and the World University Games.
With the National Games finishing this week, here are some of the biggest winners so far.
Who gets what
Under the scheme, athletes are paid depending on the competitions in which they take part and the results they achieve.
For instance, Cheung Ka-long and Vivian Kong Man-wai received HK$6 million (US$772,000) each for the individual gold medals they won at the Paris Olympics in 2024, while the same result at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023 netted an athlete HK$1 million.
The prize money for team events is typically double that of individual ones and is split across the entire team.
At this year’s Games, individual athletes have been earning HK$750,000 for a gold, HK$375,000 for a silver and HK$150,000 for a bronze. In team events, gold is worth HK$1.5 million, silver nets HK$750,000 and bronze comes with a HK$300,000 payout.