The ruling party proposes doubling the stipends of professional athletes by modifying the law on physical education and sport. “A young person who now wins gold at world juniors championships has a monthly scholarship of 3,500 lei, but when the amendments to the law are adopted, the monthly striped will rise to 7,000 lei,” PAS MP Adrian Băluțel said in a press briefing. The lowest stipend for professional athletes will be 6,000 lei, while the highest stipend, for Olympic or Paralympic gold, will be 50,000 lei a month, IPN reports.
In total, there are 11 categories of such stipends in Moldova. More than 90% of the professional athletes have a stipend lower than 10,000 lei. “The costs incurred by a professional athlete are very high: healthy eating, sports rehabilitation, training and vitamins. The state covers a too small part of these costs,” explained Adrian Băluțel.
He noted that the Ministry of Education and Research is asked to work out clear regulations, following consultations with athletes, for regulating the way in which the sportspersons could ask for the extension of the stipend in case of trauma or disease.
According to the MP, the goal of the bill is to support athletes and to encourage the young people to build a career in sports. “We realize that the doubling of the stipends of professional athletes will not solve all the problems in the field of sports, but will at least enable the athletes to focus on results and performance,” said Adrian Băluțel. He noted that these amendments are a step towards a new law on sports, which would meet the international sports standards and would offer prospects for developing the sports sector in Moldova.
