The chance to win a medal at the women’s Olympics golf tournament is likely incentive enough for all 60 members of the field, but for one competitor, Filipino star Bianca Pagdanganan, there is significantly more on offer if she scoops gold.
For a start, the Philippines Olympic committee is promising a free home to any of its competitors who win a gold medal at the Games, and that has been boosted by the pledge of a two-bedroom condo worth 24 million pesos (about $415,000) from private property developer Megaworld.
That's far from the last of the gifts she'd receive for winning the tournament, though. Thanks to an act introduced in 2015 by the late former president of the Philippines, Benigno Noynoy Aquino III, any of the country’s gold medal winners will also win 10 million pesos (around $173,000) and an Olympic gold medal of valor from the Philippines Sports Commission.
That's not all. Pagdanganan, who has career earnings of $951,738, would also see her bank balance boosted by a further 3 million peso windfall (around $52,000) from the Philippine House of Representatives.
One of Pagdanganan's compatriots who has already claimed those prizes is gymnast Carlos Yulo, who became the county’s first male gold medal winner and has gone on to claim a second gold in Paris.
Perhaps because of his unique feat or the double success of his floor routines, the gifts coming his way haven’t stopped there.
More private businesses have also stepped in, with one pledging 10,000 pesos ($1,730) of free furniture. There’s also a lifetime of free ramen and free meals from various establishments heading his way, which he can presumably order in on the free iPhone 16 he'll receive.
Meanwhile, he’ll never need to worry about his cookie jar emptying again, as his supply of the sweet treats has also been taken care of for life thanks to the aptly named Cookies By The Bucket.
He's also set for a lifetime of free engineering design by Nexa Engineering, while the 24-year-old can get colonoscopies and gastroenterology consultations for life anytime after he turns 45!
While it’s unclear whether or not Pagdanganan, who also played at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, will be in line for quite that variation of smaller gifts should she win gold, the promise of two homes and the financial rewards (as well as the medal itself and the box she'll be handed on the podium) will surely be enough to leave her dreaming of what may be in just a few more days.
And what of her chances? Well, she made an encouraging start in the opening round of the tournament at Le Golf National, heading back to the clubhouse level for the day, seven behind overnight leader Celine Boutier.
The news of the potential rewards for Pagdanganan follows the revelation that, at last week’s men’s tournament, Polish star Adrian Meronk was in line for a two-bed flat among other prizes had he won gold. However, in the end, Meronk didn’t get close, finishing in T49 as US player Scottie Scheffler took the honors.
