The IOC is preparing to establish a Future Olympic Athletes Fund, allowing every Olympic athlete who reaches the final round to apply for support of 10,000 USD, approximately 330,000 Baht.
On 25 June 2026, for the first time in history, Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, an IOC member, revealed the IOC's plan to set up a Future Olympic Athletes Fund. Every Olympic athlete who qualifies for the final round will have the right to apply for financial support of 10,000 USD, about 330,000 Baht. The total budget is set at 140 million USD, approximately 4.6 billion Baht, per Olympic event, starting from the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics onward.
Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, IOC member, disclosed after attending the 146th IOC Session in Lausanne, Switzerland on 24 June 2026, chaired by IOC President Kirsty Coventry, with IOC members from around the world present, that a key agenda of this historic meeting was the establishment of a Future Olympic Athletes Fund. This initiative was proposed by Pau Gasol, former Spanish national basketball player and Chair of the Olympic Athletes’ Commission.
The Thai IOC member further explained that the fundamental principle of the Future Olympic Athletes Fund is to allow every Olympic athlete who qualifies for the final round to apply for support of 10,000 USD, approximately 330,000 Baht. The IOC has allocated a total of 140 million USD, about 4.6 billion Baht, per Olympic event, starting with the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
Khunying Patama added that the fund is open to all athletes participating in the Olympics, not limited to medalists or athletes from certain countries. Every Olympic athlete is eligible because, although their journeys differ, all have sacrificed to reach the Olympic stage.
Years of dedication, hard work, and belief in their dreams—this is not a prize but recognition of the path and commitment required to be an Olympic athlete. It acknowledges that every Olympic athlete is part of our Olympic community and honors those who paved the way, benefiting current and future Olympians.
This fund will be distributed through existing National Olympic Committees (NOCs). If an athlete chooses not to apply, the allocated funds will remain in the fund to benefit future Olympic athletes. This initiative will not reduce or offset existing support that the IOC provides to NOCs, International Federations (IFs), Organizing Committees (OCOGs), or Olympic Solidarity funds.
Eligible athletes include all who participate in the Olympic Games starting from the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. This support applies only to Olympic athletes; Youth Olympic Games (YOG) participants are not eligible. Athletes must not have violated anti-doping rules or IOC ethics, participation conditions, or the Olympic Charter. The IOC is currently developing application and payment mechanisms, aiming to open applications by late 2026 and disburse the first payments in 2027.