AFTER reading your report “Instant millionaires” (NST, June 25), one must admit that the Olympics has certainly come a long way since it started more than 2,500 years ago in ancient Greece.

Back then, all that the winner received was a wreath made of a sacred olive tree branch. There was no talk of cash. But there was certainly fame because winning the Olympics was more important than winning a war!

Today, we are considering a million ringgit for the gold medallist, plus a monthly pension of RM5,000 (”For country or money?” — NST, June 26).

This is certainly an expensive carrot dangling in front of our sportsmen and women.

But just because every country is offering its successful athletes and sportsmen cash at stratospheric levels, does it mean we have to follow suit?

Can we even afford it, given the current cost-cutting measures and practice of frugality being adopted by every government department, including the Sports Ministry?

It is not easy to get a gold medal in the Olympics. That we must admit. But more than that, a gold medallist will forever be embedded in the pages of Malaysian history. People will talk for ages even after the cash is spent and forgotten. For instance, who will ever forget that Mani Jegathesan became the fastest man in Asia at 10.3 seconds in 1966 at the Bangkok Asian Games?

If we have to be materialistic, why not have a system of rewards more in keeping with these days of austerity?

Let’s stick to RM500,000 for gold medallists, RM300,000 for silver and RM100,000 for bronze.

The gold medallist will more than make up for the loss for the other half-million ringgit when he receives cash for endorsing everything from beverages to sports equipment from their manufacturers.

KAM TEIK BENG, Kuala Lumpur

Source: NST – June 27, 2008