Badminton body keeps mum on cash bonuses<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Badminton Association of Indonesia confirmed
\nyesterday it was not offering cash bonuses as stimuli for the
\ncountry's players to retain their Thomas Cup and Uber Cup titles
\nin Hong Kong next May.<\/p>\n
The association's secretary-general, Leo Ch. Wiranata, said
\nthat instead of asking for incentives, the shuttlers should make
\ntheir preparations for the world team championships the top
\npriority.<\/p>\n
\"We have never promised them we will provide bonuses because
\nit won't educate them at all. But if they prove their excellence,
\nthen they deserve rewards,\" Leo said.<\/p>\n
He said that the association had always given credit to
\nshuttlers for hard work and outstanding performances, including
\nin the team championships.<\/p>\n
\"Cash rewards used to be given after competitions,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The biggest cash bonus ever given to Indonesian athletes was
\ngiven to Ricky Subagdja and Rexy Mainaky, who received Rp 1
\nbillion (then US$125,000) each for winning the men's doubles gold
\nmedal in the Olympic Games in Atlanta two years ago.<\/p>\n
Ricky and Rexy are expected to team up again in this year's
\nThomas Cup team. They helped Indonesia win successive titles in
\n1994 and 1996.<\/p>\n
Leo said the association would announce the lineup of the
\nThomas Cup and Uber Cup teams after training matches on Friday.
\nThe International Badminton Federation has announced April 30 as
\nthe deadline for submitting the team lineups.<\/p>\n
The biennial world badminton team championships takes place
\nthis year from May 15 to May 24 at the Queen Elizabeth indoor
\nstadium in Hong Kong, which also hosted the previous event.<\/p>\n
Leo also said that before departing for Hong Kong on May 12,
\nthe shuttlers would pay a courtesy call on President Soeharto, an
\nevent that has become part of the regular pretournament schedule.<\/p>\n
\"We would like to ask for his (the President's) blessing,\" Leo
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Leo said that the badminton body had formally asked the
\nMinistry of Finance for departure tax exemption for the 30 Thomas
\nand Uber Cuppers and officials but had yet to receive a response.<\/p>\n
Due to the rupiah's sharp depreciation, the government has
\nquadrupled the departure tax imposed on an Indonesian citizen
\ngoing abroad by air to Rp 1 million.<\/p>\n
Minister of Finance Fuad Bawazier was quoted by the sports
\ncouncil's deputy chairman Ari Sudewo as saying last week that the
\ngovernment would agree on the exemption only for athletes bound
\nfor multi-event competitions, such as the Asian Games and the
\nOlympics.<\/p>\n
Leo said that the badminton body would cover the tax if its
\nrequest was rejected by the government. (emf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/badminton-body-keeps-mum-on-cash-bonuses-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}