AT&T gives Indonesian Olympic team $26,000

AT&T gives Indonesian Olympic team $26,000

JAKARTA (JP): American telecommunication company AT&T granted
Rp 60 million (US$26,000) in financial aid yesterday to the
Indonesian Olympic team heading to Atlanta later this month.

Donald B. Westmore, manager of AT&T Asia Pacific's Indonesian
office, said the company wants to participate in helping the
country's team perform well in the Olympics.

"We want to show that we're not here just for business but we
also want to help the country in our way," he said in Indonesian
during the handing-over of the check to National Sports Council
chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar.

Indonesia will send 39 athletes who will compete in 10 sports
in Atlanta. The tiny team seems to be pinning its hopes of
winning gold medals in badminton. Badminton players will make up
half of the Indonesian Olympic squad.

The AT&T also provided free phone cards for Indonesian
athletes and officials to enable them to contact their families
while in Atlanta.

AT&T, which also gave donations to Olympic teams from Hong
Kong, India, China, the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan, has
offered to provide 7,000 houses, which belong to its employees,
to families of participating athletes during their stay at the
July 19 to Aug. 4 sporting extravaganza.

"The houses are free of charge for families all over the
world. First come first serve, that's how we arrange the
program," Westmore said.

AT&T was the second multinational company to give financial
aid to the national Olympic team. Earlier, the council received
on separate occasions Rp 1.6 billion (US$680,000) and Rp 71.5
million (US$30,500) from Citibank. (yan)