Crisis in Hungary? Government pouring billions into sports
State Secretary for Sport Ádám Schmidt announced that Olympic sports will receive HUF 2.7 billion more state funding than last year. Instead of the previous 16 priority sports, 43 winter and summer sports can now count on government funding. All this at a time when inflation is running at 25 percent, food keeps getting more expensive and the average person is struggling.
The National Programme for the Development of Competitive Sports (Nemzeti Versenyport-fejlesztési Program), the new competitive sports financing system, has been launched. Under the programme, the professional associations of Olympic sports will receive HUF 2.7 billion more than last year. That is a total of HUF 14.5 billion in state funding in 2023, announced Ádám Schmidt, State Secretary for Sport, on Thursday, according to MTI.
Ádám Schmidt also shared that from now on, 43 winter and summer Olympic sports will receive support, instead of the previous 16. The grant is paid in one lump sum to the sports organisations at the beginning of the year, napi.hu reports.
Supported areas of sports
The government is giving support to sports in six areas:
- operation,
- Olympic preparation,
- operation of the youth system,
- support for member organisations,
- coaching salaries,
- equipment purchases.
The Head of the State Secretariat for Sport stressed that no sports federation will receive less money than last year.
Source: napi.hu, MTI