RNOC stakes cash for Beijing medalists

Gold-$10,000Silver-$5,000Bronze-$5,000 Rwandan Olympians have every reason to do whatever it takes and win a medal in Beijing after the National Olympics Committee staked big cash awards for each medal in this year’s Games set for August 8-24 in China. The unprecedented moved was confirmed to Times Sport yesterday by the Rwanda National Olympic Committee president Ignace Beraho. Rwanda has never won a medal at the Summer Olympic Games and in a bid to break that curse, $10,000 (approx. Frw5.5 million) has staked for a gold while both silver and bronze will go for $5,000 (approx. Frw2.7millions). “We need medals to lift pride of our nation. We have capable athletes whose objectives are to win medals and bring to an end the country’s poor medal show at the Games,” Beraho said. Meanwhile, the Rwanda’s cabinet will award prizes to Olympic medalists, according to the Ministry of Sports and Culture (Minispoc). Minispoc Secretary General Jean Pierre Karabaranga said yesterday that they plan to present the yet to be named prize to the Cabinet for approval. “We will decide on what to offer to the medalists after the acquiring approval from the cabinet but all in all Olympic medalists will be rewarded whatsoever,” Karabaranga said. The 2004 Athens Paralympics bronze medalist Jean de Dieu Nkundabera (800m) is eyeing a repeat of the last edition and wants to stage a better show this time. “I’m praying as well as training hard to win a medal too in this year’s Games. A medal of any kind would still make me happy and bring pride to my country,” Nkundabera said. The national Olympic team captain and marathon runner Epiphanie Nyirabarame is only aiming at performing better this time contrary to the 54th position of four years ago in Athens. “I will take to stage eyeing to post a better performance than in Athens four years ago but still, I also have a target of finishing inside the medal brackets,” Nyirabarame said. Ends

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RNOC stakes cash for Beijing medalists