Badminton body keeps mum on cash bonuses

Badminton body keeps mum on cash bonuses

JAKARTA (JP): The Badminton Association of Indonesia confirmed
yesterday it was not offering cash bonuses as stimuli for the
country's players to retain their Thomas Cup and Uber Cup titles
in Hong Kong next May.

The association's secretary-general, Leo Ch. Wiranata, said
that instead of asking for incentives, the shuttlers should make
their preparations for the world team championships the top
priority.

"We have never promised them we will provide bonuses because
it won't educate them at all. But if they prove their excellence,
then they deserve rewards," Leo said.

He said that the association had always given credit to
shuttlers for hard work and outstanding performances, including
in the team championships.

"Cash rewards used to be given after competitions," he said.

The biggest cash bonus ever given to Indonesian athletes was
given to Ricky Subagdja and Rexy Mainaky, who received Rp 1
billion (then US$125,000) each for winning the men's doubles gold
medal in the Olympic Games in Atlanta two years ago.

Ricky and Rexy are expected to team up again in this year's
Thomas Cup team. They helped Indonesia win successive titles in
1994 and 1996.

Leo said the association would announce the lineup of the
Thomas Cup and Uber Cup teams after training matches on Friday.
The International Badminton Federation has announced April 30 as
the deadline for submitting the team lineups.

The biennial world badminton team championships takes place
this year from May 15 to May 24 at the Queen Elizabeth indoor
stadium in Hong Kong, which also hosted the previous event.

Leo also said that before departing for Hong Kong on May 12,
the shuttlers would pay a courtesy call on President Soeharto, an
event that has become part of the regular pretournament schedule.

"We would like to ask for his (the President's) blessing," Leo
added.

Leo said that the badminton body had formally asked the
Ministry of Finance for departure tax exemption for the 30 Thomas
and Uber Cuppers and officials but had yet to receive a response.

Due to the rupiah's sharp depreciation, the government has
quadrupled the departure tax imposed on an Indonesian citizen
going abroad by air to Rp 1 million.

Minister of Finance Fuad Bawazier was quoted by the sports
council's deputy chairman Ari Sudewo as saying last week that the
government would agree on the exemption only for athletes bound
for multi-event competitions, such as the Asian Games and the
Olympics.

Leo said that the badminton body would cover the tax if its
request was rejected by the government. (emf)