Gold medalists Greysia Polii L/Apriyani Rahayu of Indonesia are seen during the awarding ceremony for the badminton women's doubles event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, August 2, 2021.
Gold medalists Greysia Polii L/Apriyani Rahayu of Indonesia are seen during the awarding ceremony for the badminton women's doubles event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, August 2, 2021.
Xue Yubin/Xinhua via Getty Images
  • The duo took home the country's first gold at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday, beating China's Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan.
  • Sulawesi's district head promised five cows and a house, while a meatball restaurant offered the shuttlers a shopfront each.
  • These gifts are on top of the 5 billion rupiah ($350,000) cash reward from the government.
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Indonesia is giving its gold-winning women badminton players cash, cows, a house, and a meatball restaurant, according to Reuters.

In a shock win, shuttlers Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu took home the country's first gold at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday, beating out China's Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan.

The win came with an outpouring of gifts, with the island of Sulawesi – where Apriyani is from – promising her five cows and a house. Meanwhile, according to an Instagram post, meatball restaurant chain Baso Aci Abang gave the gold medalists a shopfront.

A post shared by Baso Aci Akang (@basoaciakang)

The country's tourism minister Sandiaga Uno also said Monday the pair will get to travel to the country's top six tourist destinations for free, including Wakatobi, a scuba-diving destination in Sulawesi, reported the South China Morning Post.

These gifts are on top of the 5 billion rupiahs ($350,000) cash award from the government - a stunning sum in a country where the gross national income was $11,750 in 2020.

Badminton is the only sport where Indonesia has bagged gold at the Olympics - it also has one silver and three bronze. The win on Monday is the country's eighth gold medal since the sport was introduced in 1992 at the Barcelona Games. Since then, it has won a gold medal in badminton at every Olympics except the London 2012 Games.

Since first entering the Olympics in 1952, Indonesia has won 37 medals in all.

Indonesia isn't the only Southeast Asian country offering major incentives to its Olympic winners.

When Philippines weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz won the country's first gold ever on July 27, she was given $660,000 and two houses. Other companies also showered her with cash awards, additional homes, and a van, reported Nikkei Asia.

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