Scots Stars Can Pocket Cash Rewards

SCOTS STARS CAN POCKET CASH REWARDS Scottish gold medal winners at Glasgow 2014 will receive up to £10,000 each under a £300,000 rewards scheme announced by Commonwealth Games Scotland.

Medallists will receive the money on retirement from their sport to help them adapt to life after competition.

Silver medallists will receive up to £5,000 and those winning bronze can look forward to £2,500, although the maximum available for each sport is £75,000.

Commonwealth Games Scotland chairman Michael Cavanagh said: "We did the same thing in Delhi and we ended up paying out £180,000, which we were delighted about.

"We have received some funding from being the host nation so we decided we wanted to reward our athletes. The money is kept from them until they retire.

"It's about recognising that athletes are making sacrifices, sometimes financial and sometimes career progression.

"For some of them it can be quite difficult to make the change, and this will help them out.

"Sometimes it's used if an athlete wants to retrain - we had someone after Delhi who became a personal trainer and that's how they make a living.

"Other people put a deposit down on a house because they were getting married.

"It's up to the athlete to decide, we just want to know that there's something there for them, because of what they have done for the country.''