KONI will increase bonuses for coaches<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) is to award
\ncoaches higher cash bonuses than ever before if their athletes
\nwin medals at the 13th Asian Games in Bangkok next month.<\/p>\n
KONI chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar said on Thursday he made
\nthe promise following complaints the sports council had paid
\nlittle attention to coaches despite their key roles in improving
\nnational athletes' performances.<\/p>\n
South Korean taekwondo coach Oh Il-nam on Thursday was the
\nlatest to criticize Wismoyo over the council's apathy toward
\ntrainers' mediocre economic status.<\/p>\n
Wismoyo, who toured the taekwondo training camp in Ragunan,
\nSouth Jakarta, ahead of the Asiad, admitted having paid little
\nrespect to coaches.<\/p>\n
\"Without coaches, even a very talented athlete won't emerge as
\na champion,\" he said.<\/p>\n
To boost Indonesia's performance in the upcoming Asiad, a
\ncoach will be offered a prize equal to 40 percent of the cash
\nbonus given to a medal-winning athlete, according to Wismoyo.<\/p>\n
Athletes received Rp 25 million ((US$7,000 at the time) for
\neach gold won at the 19th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games here last
\nyear. Coaches only earned Rp 5 million.<\/p>\n
The council has announced that an Asian Games gold medal will
\nbe worth Rp 50 million (US$6,500 at Thursday's rate) for an
\nathlete, a silver Rp 30 million and a bronze Rp 15 million.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has set its sights on winning six golds, 11 silvers
\nand 13 bronzes from the 21 sports it will compete in at the
\nevent.<\/p>\n
Wismoyo said he welcomed any sports organizations' moves to
\nprovide bigger cash prizes for coaches.<\/p>\n
Oh told Wismoyo he represented fellow national coaches who
\nfound their grievances over insufficient salaries had been left
\nunheeded.<\/p>\n
\"If coaches always have to think about how to meet their
\nfamilies' basic needs, how can they concentrate on their jobs and
\nin turn improve their athletes' achievement,\" Oh said.<\/p>\n
Oh said he did not worry about his earnings, thanks to his
\n$1,400 monthly salary given by the South Korean government.<\/p>\n
\"I'm paid enough by my government. It's the local coaches I'm
\nthinking about. Even if I don't get the bonus, that's fine with
\nme,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The sports council plans to raise Oh's monthly allowance to Rp
\n750,000, but the foreign coach said he never thought about it.<\/p>\n
Speaking about his target at the Asian Games, Oh predicted one
\nof his six proteges would win a gold. \"We have a great chance in
\nthe men's and women's flyweight, the men's bantamweight and
\nmiddleweight,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Oh said South Korea would not compete in the flyweight and
\nbantamweight classes of the nation's traditional martial art.<\/p>\n
Indonesia will field Andri Halim (heavyweight), Robert
\n(middleweight), Dominggus Boro (bantamweight) and Satrio
\n(flyweight) on the men's side and Sinta Berliana Heru
\n(heavyweight) and Yoana Wangsa Putri (flyweight) in the women's
\ncompetition. (yan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/koni-will-increase-bonuses-for-coaches-1447893297",
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