COPF announces gold medal rewards

The French Polynesian Olympic Committee (COPF) announced during a seminar on Saturday that individual athletes who win gold medals at the 2027 Pacific Games will receive 100,000 francs, as well as the winning team in team sports. This initiative is funded by the Socredo group and marks a first for Tahitian sports in the history of the Pacific Games.

Seminar titled "Together to Gold"

The seminar, titled Together to Gold, was held at the Tombeau du Roi in Arue, eight months after the first meeting of the campaign. The event took place at J-274 of the opening of the Pacific Games, which is scheduled for July 24, 2027.

Various stakeholders attended the seminar

Institutional and private partners, representatives of the federations concerned by the event, elected officials, coaches, and athletes attended the seminar. Vanina Pommier, the Minister of Youth and Sports, and Louis Provost and Éric Zorgnotti, respectively the president and technical director of the COPF, discussed the actions taken since the first seminar.

Tahiti's goal for the Pacific Games

The goal for Tahiti is to win at least 80 gold medals to determine the ranking of nations on the medal table. The financial reward is part of a total budget of 8 million francs. Régis Chang, the general director of Socredo, explained that the decision to reward only gold medals was made in consultation with the COPF, as they are decisive in winning the Games.

Potential for increased funding

If Tahiti wins more than 80 gold medals, the financial envelope could be increased. Financially rewarding competition winners is not new in Tahiti, but the method is a first in the context of the Pacific Games. Louis Provost, president of the COPF, hopes that the principle of rewarding gold medalists will extend beyond 2027 to all major international events where Tahitian athletes compete.

Athletes welcome the news

Athletes welcomed the news with enthusiasm, as exemplified by Kylie Crawford, a potential gold medalist in cycling at the 2027 Pacific Games, who stated that the bonus would give Tahitian athletes even more desire to shine at the Games. Some athletes potentially eligible for gold medals in multiple events could accumulate a significant sum, just reward for a personal commitment and great sporting talent.

Workshops continue the seminar

The seminar continued throughout the morning with workshops that brought together representatives of sports disciplines to exchange extensively.