Young: Rewards for Commonwealth Games medallists

TT athletes Jereem Richards, Michelle-Lee Ahye and Dylan Carter could receive monetary rewards from the Government for their medal-winning performances at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.

At yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young hailed Richards’ victory in the 200m final.

Ahye won gold in the women’s 100m final on Monday, and Carter won silver in the men’s 50m butterfly final last week Thursday.

Young said Government was not considering a public holiday as a result of the trio’s victories. However he reiterated that Cabinet recently approved a rewards policy for athletes.

“I think this falls directly into that policy,” Young said. The minister explained the policy includes monetary rewards for athletes’ performances at different competitions.

He said for athletics and swimming, the Olympics was the highest in terms of the rewards, and for competitions like the Commonwealth Games they were “a tier down.”