Vietnamese gold medal winners at the 2012 London Olympics are to get a VND750 million (US$36,000) cash prize from national sponsors.

Silver and bronze medal winners will be awarded VND450 million ($21,000) and VND300 million ($14,000), respectively.

This is on top of the Government's already pledged cash prize of VND160 million ($7,600) to gold medalists and VND80 million ($3,800) and VND60 million ($2,800) for silver and bronze.

PetroVietnam General Services and sport manufacturer Dong Luc Group would provide the extra cash, the National Sports and Physical Training Administration announced yesterday.

At present, 15 Vietnamese athletes have qualified to compete in London from July 27 to August 12.

Viet Nam won its first Olympic medal in 2000 when women's taekwondo artist Tran Hieu Ngan took silver in Sydney. Eight years later weightlifter Hoang Anh Tuan won silver in Beijing.-VNS