The best 16 sportspeople from Chisinau were conferred prizes by the Sports Direction on Thursday. The sportspeople and their coaches have got diplomas and money, as children sang carols for them, Info-Prim Neo reports. Direction head Tatiana Nagnibeda-Tverdohleb says 10 of the best sportsmen got by 1,000 lei, as other six got by 600 lei. According to chairman of the National Olympic Committee Nicolae Juravschi, the sportspeople were selected by their results. “It's a world practice to award the best sportspeople at the end of the year, and Moldova tries to follow this practice to promote the sportspeople. This year, they managed to get a bronze medal in Beijing, a result contributing to the god image of the country, to educate the new generation. The sport will bring its contribution to the development of Moldova,” Nicolae Juravschi said. The sportspeople were contended with the awards, specifying they they will be of some use during the winter holidays. “We're glad we're appreciated and it's a pleasant gesture. The awards are always welcome, especially before the New Year to buy presents,” the athlete Olga Cristea said.