The opposition party “Latvija first” (LPV) submitted a request to Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (JV), asking to explain the decision of the Latvian National Sports Council (LNSP) not to award cash prizes to para-athletes Aigars Apinis and Rihards Sniks.
As the LETA agency was informed in the party, LPV deputies agree with the opinion expressed by the president of the Latvian Paralympic Committee (LPK) Daigas Dadzīte, that the criteria for awarding state cash prizes for outstanding achievements in sports are subjective and not fair, as a result of which Latvian para-athletes Apinis and Snikus were left without cash prizes.
In the request of LPV deputies to Siliņa, it is emphasized that the system of awarding bonuses to para-athletes is still not organized and transparent. Therefore, a lot depends on the subjective understanding and attitude of the decision-makers.
LPV believes that currently the regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers (MK) do not provide for the classification of para-athletes depending on the number of participants in a specific type of competition, which the responsible Ministry of Education and Science (IZM) allegedly took as the basis for the refusal of bonuses. LPV MPs ask if the MK is ready to immediately review this system in order to change the recent decision of the LNSP and for Apinis and Snikus to receive the monetary prizes that, according to LPV, the para-athletes deserve.
“At the same time, we will invite everyone to draw conclusions about the attitude of the ruling politicians, who decided on this issue, towards athletes, including para-sports, where everyday life is already difficult. We believe that the decision, which is forwarded to the MK for approval, is unfair and insulting to athletes,” said the LPV MPs’ request to the Prime Minister.
It has already been written that Latvian para-athletes Apinis and Snikus expressed their dissatisfaction on social media with the criteria for awarding cash prizes to athletes who have achieved outstanding achievements.
LNSP and the government have supported the awarding of cash prizes to several athletes with outstanding achievements in a total amount of 813,089 euros.
Para-athlete Diāna Krūmiņa is also among the athletes who have been awarded a cash prize, while Apin and Snik, who also achieved high results in the past season, are not expected to receive cash prizes.
Both athletes claimed that the award was not given to them because ten countries did not compete in the respective group.
Apinis also claimed that such a criterion for athletes from ten countries was not defined in any document, but was invented by the Ministry of the Interior.
However, the Ministry of the Interior has explained that awarding bonuses to Latvian athletes and para-athletes for high achievements in international competitions is done equally and according to uniform criteria.
When preparing proposals for the awarding of cash prizes, the LNSP evaluates the importance of the competition, including the number of participating countries and athletes, explained the Ministry of Education and Culture.
However, the number of countries considered in the evaluation is based more on the previous experience of the council. Over the past five years, the division of at least ten countries has been consistently used as a benchmark to ensure comparable and fair awarding of bonuses, the Ministry of Interior stated.
In total, monetary prizes were awarded to 78 athletes and several dozen coaches, as well as to several employees serving the athletes.
Awards are intended for high achievements in world and European championships, international competitions and universiades.
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