The National Olympic Committee released its list of SEA Games medalists yesterday along with remunerations to be paid to each athlete and coach in accordance with the government’s subdecree on rewarding international sporting achievement.

Gold medals earn 40 million riel (US$9,980) each, silvers collect 30 million riel and bronzes 16 million riel. Coaches receive the equivalent value to that of their best athlete’s or team’s medal, while assistant coaches get 70 per cent of this amount.

The total to be paid out by the government comes to just under $800,000. The group of players set to bank the most money was surprisingly sepak takraw/chinlone with an expected windfall of 1.04 billion riel.

Despite bringing home two silvers and six bronzes compared to the wrestling team’s four golds, two silvers and four bronzes, the skilled rattan ball jugglers, many of whom won medals in both disciplines, saw the riels roll in due to multi-member squads. Vovinam also forced the government to dig deep into its pockets with numerous team medals.