Shocking: Thai athletes complain that they have not received their SEA Games allowance for 4 months

Thai media has just revealed that many athletes in this country are preparing for the 33rd SEA Games but have not received their allowances. This situation has lasted for 4 months now, causing many people to worry and stress, affecting the goal of 'capturing' gold medals.

Thailand aims to win up to 40% of total gold medals at SEA Games 33

According to Thai newspaper Thairath , in the meeting of the country's Olympic Committee on August 4, a shocking report was revealed that the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) has not paid the allowances for athletes participating in the 33rd SEA Games for the past 4 months. Accordingly, the most recent payments were from March and April. Thereby, it has significantly affected the training process and spirit of Thai athletes.

Thailand aims to win up to 234 gold medals at the 33rd SEA Games, including a full set of 4 gold medals in men's, women's and futsal football.

Photo: Dong Nguyen Khang

This information shocked many Thai sports officials, and they considered it a serious problem, affecting the goal of "capturing" the gold medal of the country's sports delegation at the 33rd SEA Games held right on home ground.

According to Thairath , the Thai Olympic Committee has set a deadline of 2 weeks for SAT to resolve the issue of athlete allowances that are currently owed. If this agency still cannot resolve the issue, athletes and the executive boards of sports associations will gather to present the issue directly to the Thai Government .

Thairath quoted a top sports official in Thailand as saying: "The problem is not just money, but also the spirit of the athletes who are dedicating themselves to the country. Some associations even borrowed money from civil servants' cooperatives to pay in advance for team members. This should not happen again.

If there is no money, they should be honest about the source of the money. Don't let this situation drag on. Because, if this leads to failure in controlling the situation, it will be a shame for the entire ASEAN region."

The official also added that he had contacted Mr. Surawong Thienthong, Minister of Tourism and Sports and Head of the 33rd SEA Games Organizing Committee of host country Thailand, who promised to speed up the process of finding sources of money to pay the athletes soon.

However, many Thai sports associations are currently relying on reserve funds or self-fundraising, according to Thairath , so the problem is not likely to be resolved quickly.

Meanwhile, according to Thai press, the country's sports are aiming to regain the No. 1 position on the medal rankings at the 33rd SEA Games, after two editions in 2021 and 2023 were both behind the Vietnamese sports delegation.

It is expected that Thai sports want to win up to 234 gold medals in the sports events. At the 33rd SEA Games, a total of 574 gold medals will be competed for in 50 sports. The Thai Sports Association has set a target of winning 234 gold medals, accounting for 40% of the total gold medals. This will include a full set of 4 gold medals in men's football, women's football and futsal.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/soc-vdv-thai-lan-keu-than-da-4-thang-nay-chua-nhan-duoc-tien-phu-cap-sea-games-185250806114025656.htm