Shamfa: PNM started athletes reward scheme

FORMER minister of sport Shamfa Cudjoe has congratulated javelin thrower Keshorn Walcott and 400m sprinter Jereem Richards, who copped gold and silver in their respective disciplines at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

However, in a post on her social media platforms, Cudjoe noted that the awards announced by the prime minister – $500,000 for Walcott and $250,000 for Richards – are part of a national reward and incentive policy established by the former PNM administration in 2017.

"The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit," Cudjoe said.

"During our tenure, our government extended the elite athlete assistance programme to provide financial support to our athletes, and in 2017, we established the national rewards and incentives policy framework to reward athletes for medals earned on the international stage.

"To this end, a gold medal winner at the World Athletics Championships is entitled to a reward of $500,000, and a silver medal winner is entitled to $250,000.

"I celebrate this moment with our star athletes and salute all athletes who continue to strive for excellence in honour of the red, white and black."

Cudjoe said she was humbled by the two athletes’ unwavering commitment and was pleased to have extended assistance and support through the years.

The rewards for Walcott and Richards were announced by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar at a media conference at the Diplomatic Center on September 23.

The Northeastern Multipurpose Sport Facility in Sangre Grande will be renamed the Keshorn Walcott Multipurpose Sport Facility, in celebration of his World Championship victory.