At the Winter Olympics-2026, even a place below 17th will provide athletes with a stipend equal to the average salary - 17,400 lei // Photo: cbc.ca
The Ministry of Education and Research specified that the sports scholarships are linked to the average monthly salary in the economy for 2026 and on January 1, 2026, they are 11% higher than the previously published data. They are received by 235 athletes – members of Moldovan national teams of different ages.
Thus, the winners of the Olympic and Paralympic Games are entitled to a monthly stipend of five average salaries, i.e. 87 thousand lei (instead of 80.5 thousand lei before the correction in the calculations). World champions are entitled to a stipend of 69.6 thousand lei per month (instead of 64.4 thousand lei), European champions – 52.2 thousand lei (instead of 48.3 thousand lei).
Minimum payments of 0.25 of the average salary (4,350 lei instead of 4,025 lei) are envisaged for bronze medalists of European championships among athletes under 17, as well as for silver or bronze medalists of continental championships among athletes under 15. Athletes aged 13-15 and 21-23 became beneficiaries of the payments for the first time.
The list of beneficiaries includes athletes represented in various sports: biathlon, boxing, canoeing, judo, track and field, Olympic wrestling (freestyle, Greco-Roman, women’s), swimming, archery, taekwondo, weightlifting and fencing. Athletes who have successfully competed in world and/or continental competitions in Paralympic sports are also entitled to commensurate monthly payments.
Also from January 1, the amount of lump sum bonuses paid to athletes for prize-winning places at representative international tournaments was increased. For the victory at the Olympic Games, Moldovan athletes are entitled to a bonus of 400,000 lei instead of the previous 120,000 lei. The winners of the World and European championships will receive 200 thousand lei, while the medalists of the international youth competitions (U-23) – from 100 to 200 thousand lei, depending on the status of the tournament.
