ATHLETES WINNING IN AN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS COMPETITION

After reading Athletes Winning in an International Competition, read also Establishments Granting Discounts to National Athletes and Coaches may Deduct the Discount from the Gross Income

• A national athlete who wins in a regular major international sports competition is entitled to scholarship benefits

• Athletes who have represented the country in international sports competitions who win gold, silver or bronze medals are entitled to cash incentives

• Coaches of national athletes may also be entitled to cash incentives

What does the law say about athletes winning in an international sports competition?

The law says:

National athletes refer to athletes including persons with disabilities who are Filipino citizens, members of the national training pool, recognized and accredited by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), including athletes with disabilities (AWD) who are recognized and accredited by the National Paralympic Committee of the Philippines (NPC PHIL) and the PSC and who have represented the country in international sports competitions.

Under Republic Act No. 10699 or otherwise known as the “National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act”, a national athlete who wins in a regular major international sports competition shall be entitled to scholarship benefits in the form of full tuition fees from state colleges or universities for a college or university degree. The winning athlete shall likewise be given priority in the availment of state college or university scholarship grants.

Likewise, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) shall give priority to winning national athletes who seek scholarship grants and study under their programs subject to the CHED and TESDA regulations and policies and qualifications for all applicants.

Private colleges and universities shall likewise be encouraged to adopt a similar program in their institutions for winning national athletes.

Furthermore, national athletes and other athletes who are not officially or currently members of the national training pool but who have otherwise represented the country in international sports competitions, who win gold, silver or bronze medals in international sports competitions is entitled to cash incentives in the following amounts:

1. Individual Events

1. For Gold Medalists:

1. Ten million pesos (P10,000,000.00) and an Olympic Gold Medal of Valor to be issued by the PSC for Summer Olympic and Winter Olympic Games;

2. Five million pesos (P5,000,000.00) and an Olympic Gold Medal of Valor to be issued by the PSC for Youth Olympic Games and Paralympic Games;

3. Two million pesos (P2,000,000.00) for Asian Games, Asian Winter Games, and Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games;

4. One million pesos (P1,000,000.00) for Asian Para Games and World-level competitions held at least every two years with at least forty-five (45) countries participating;

5. Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) for Asian Beach Games, and Asian-level competitions held at least every two (2) years with at least twenty-five (25) countries participating, and qualifying competitions for World-level and Asian-level games;

6. Three hundred thousand pesos (P300,000.00) for SEA Games; and

7. One hundred fifty thousand pesos (P150,000.00) for ASEAN Para Games.

      2. For Silver Medalists:

1. Five million pesos (P5,000,000.00) for Summer Olympic and Winter Olympic Games;

2. Two million five hundred thousand pesos (P2,500,000.00) for Youth Olympic Games and Paralympic Games;

3. One million pesos (P1,000,000.00) for Asian Games, Asian Winter Games, and Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games;

4. Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) for Asian Para Games and World-level competitions held at least every two (2) years with at least forty-five (45) countries participating;

5. Two hundred fifty thousand pesos (P250,000.00) for Asian Beach Games, and Asian-level competitions held at least every two (2) years with at least twenty-five (25) countries participating, and qualifying competitions for World-level and Asian-level games;

6. One hundred fifty thousand pesos (P150,000.00) for SEA Games; and

7. Seventy-five thousand pesos (P75,000.00) for ASEAN Para Games.

    3. For Bronze Medalists:

1. Two million pesos (P2,000,000.00) for Summer Olympic and Winter Olympic Games;

2. One million pesos (P1,000,000.00) for Youth Olympic Games and Paralympic Games;

3. Four hundred thousand pesos (P400,000.00) for Asian Games, Asian Winter Games, and Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games;

4. Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00) for Asian Para Games and World-level competitions held at least every two (2) years with at least forty-five (45) countries participating;

5. One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) for Asian Beach Games, and Asian-level competitions held at least every two (2) years with at least twenty-five (25) countries participating and qualifying competitions for World-level and Asian-level games;

6. Sixty thousand pesos (P60,000.00) for SEA Games; and

7. Thirty thousand pesos (P30,000.00) for ASEAN Para Games.

     b. Team Events

For competitions with less than five (5) participants per team, the team shall receive the same cash incentives for individual medal winners to be divided equally among the team members actually present during the competition.

For competitions with five (5) or more participants per team, each team member shall receive twenty-five percent (25%) of the cash incentives for individual medal winners.

For demonstration and exhibition sports events in the Olympics, the winning athlete shall receive twenty-five percent (25%) of the cash incentives for Olympic medalists.

For national athletes and other athletes who surpass Philippine record or ranking in any measurable international sports competition shall be given cash incentives, the amount of which may be determined by the PSC.

Also, please take note that coaches of national athletes are also entitled to cash incentives if they have personally trained and rendered service to the athletes or teams who win in international competitions at least six (6) months prior to the international competition. Certification to this effect by the individual athlete or team captain for team events shall be in writing, duly attested by their respective National Sports Associations (NSAs).

The incentives for the coaches shall be equivalent to fifty percent (50%) of the cash incentives for gold, silver and bronze medalists. In case of more than one (1) coach, the cash incentives shall be divided among themselves.

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