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)