Bill shows concern for athletes' welfare<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
The sports community's long-sought goal for the government to
\npay attention to outstanding athletes once their competitive days
\nare over is a step closer to realization.<\/p>\n
The bill on sports, which was debated on Friday at the
\nNational Sport Council headquarters in Senayan, Central Jakarta,
\nstipulates the various rewards that athletes with superior
\nachievement in their sport are entitled to from the central
\ngovernment, regional government and other sources.<\/p>\n
They may take the form of insurance, pension schemes and job
\npromotions, as well as scholarships, bonuses and honorary medals.<\/p>\n
Besides athletes, officials of sports organizations and
\nsupporting staff -- like referees, teachers and medical staff --
\nwith excellent achievements would also be rewarded.<\/p>\n
State Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs Adhyaksa Dault,
\nKONI chairman Agum Gumelar and officials from several sports
\norganizations attended the discussion.<\/p>\n
Details must be formulated in a presidential decree, but, once
\neffected, the measures would give athletes' recourse and
\ncertainty on their entitlements.<\/p>\n
Most athletes are dependent on one-time bonuses offered by
\ntheir respective associations, the government or corporations for
\nachievement at the national or international level.<\/p>\n
However, the informal nature of the provision of bonuses as
\nwell as the bureaucratic structure of sports organizations --
\nallowing for \"deductions\" to be made before bonuses reach the
\nathletes -- has led to disputes.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Athens Olympic badminton men's singles gold
\nmedalist Taufik Hidayat was involved in a public argument with
\nBadminton Association of Indonesia director Icuk Sugiarto over
\nthe division of a bonus.<\/p>\n
Former swimmer Elfira Rosa Nasution said the measures would
\ngive athletes peace of mind to focus on their sport.<\/p>\n
\"Getting fitting rewards is what athletes need, so I am glad
\nto hear about the sports bill and its clause on rewards,\" she
\nsaid, noting there should be specific rewards for a world or
\nAsian champion.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Indonesian Drumband Association Didit S.,
\nwhich is a member of KONI, said the reward system was long
\noverdue, with many former athletes living in poverty.<\/p>\n
\"For me, 98 percent of the content of the bill is good, so we
\nneed to speed up the deliberation of the bill in the House of
\nRepresentatives and endorse it.\"<\/p>\n
Adhyaksa pledged to push for the swift endorsement of the
\nbill.<\/p>\n
Although often providing jobs to former athletes in state
\ncompanies, the country still lags behind its neighbors in Asia in
\nproviding welfare measures.<\/p>\n
Malaysia announced on Tuesday it would provide a pension
\nscheme to medal-winning athletes based on a South Korean model.
\nPayments would range from US$600 to @1,000 monthly.<\/p>",
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