Association will give cash bonus for Supriati's gold

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Amateur Athletics Association will hand over a cash bonus to Supriati Sutono, the gold medalist in the women's 5,000 meters in the 13th Asian Games, probably next week.

The association's secretary-general, Barmawi Chaidir, said on Monday that he was still discussing the amount of the bonus with official partners and sponsors.

The partners are mostly companies controlled by the association's chairman Mohammad "Bob" Hasan.

Chaidir said the bonus would not be given merely to Supriati, but also to the people who had been involved in her training program.

"We are still counting how many people were involved and how much will be handed over to them," he said.

Supriati became Indonesia's second track and field Asiad gold medalist, winning the women's 5,000 meters with a time of 15 minutes and 54.45 seconds.

Muhamad Sarengat won Indonesia's first Asiad track and field gold medal at the fourth Asiad held in Jakarta 36 years ago. Sarengat won the 100m dash and 110m hurdles. Indonesia's last medal in track and field was won by Carolina Rieuwpassa, who took home the bronze at the 1978 Asiad in Bangkok.

Supriati and other Indonesian medalists are also expected to receive cash bonuses from State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Agung Laksono on Tuesday.

Chaidir said that Supriati's coach, Nicky Pattiasina, only urged his runner to clock a time 15 minutes and 50 seconds without considering winning the gold.

"Based on her last competition at the Asian Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, I knew Supriati could reach the targeted time," he said.

At the Asian Championships in Japan, Wang Chunmei of China won the race by clocking 15:49.48. In the Asiad, Wang fell during the race and failed to get a medal.

Chaidir said the association would evaluate the Asiad results in January with members of the technical commission, the coaching commission and the medical commission.

"We will evaluate our athletes performances during the Asiad. From five athletes, three of them reached the finals and one won a gold. It is really satisfying," he said.

Indonesia sent Supriati, men's marathoner Suyono Bejo Atmojo, women's marathoner Ruwiyati, women's triple jumper Nyoman Rae and women's 5,000m walker Tersiana Riwu Rohi to compete in the track and field events.

Nyoman failed to finish her race because of a nagging injury, while Tersiana was disqualified from her race for rules violations.

"Our coaches did not give the competition strategy to their athletes. So the athletes were confused and failed to take actions to overcome the situation," he said.

Citing an example, Chaidir said that Ruwiyati always ran on the left side of the road, while in the Asiad competition the drinking bottles were placed on the right side of the road.

"Ruwiyati had to cross the street to take the water bottles and it cost her time just to do such a simple thing," he said. (yan)