Big bonuses await Olympic medalists
Big bonuses await Olympic medalists
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's Olympians arrived home yesterday to
a low-key reception following their off-target performances in
Atlanta.
After a brief welcome ceremony led by Coordinating Minister
for People's Welfare Azwar Anas at Soekarno-Hatta airport, the
Olympic team was greeted by less-than rapturous cheers from a
small number of flag waving school students scattered along the
road that led the athletes to the National Sports Council's
headquarters at Senayan.
It was a stark contrast to the thunderous reception given to
the badminton idols who brought home two Olympic gold medals four
years ago and to the winners of the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup last
May.
Council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar announced that whopping
bonuses in the form of retirement insurance await all the medal
winners. The bonuses are being provided by the Tugu Pratama
insurance company, owned by Mohammad (Bob) Hasan, and the
President Soeharto-led Dharmais Foundation.
Gold medalists will bag Rp 1 billion (US$422,000), silver
medalists Rp 250 million and bronze medalists Rp 100 million,
with some exceptions for doubles players. Coaches will share Rp
250 million in insurance money.
Indonesia took a gold, a silver and two bronzes, all from
badminton, to finish 41st in the medals table. The country sent
41 athletes to compete in 11 sports.
World badminton men's doubles players number one Ricky Subagja
and Rexy Mainaky will top the list of new millionaires,
collecting Rp 500 million each after earning Indonesia its sole
gold medal.
The honorable Bintang Jasa Utama medal will be presented to
the badminton players by President Soeharto on National Sports
Day this Sept. 9.
Young hope Mia Audina will be Rp 250 million richer despite
her loss to South Korean Bang Soo-hyun in the women's singles
final.
The two bronzes came from women's singles player Susi Susanti,
a gold medalist in 1992, and men's doubles debutants Antonius
Irianto and Denny Kantono. The doubles players will share Rp 150
million.
The council's treasurer, Setya Novanto, said that Wismoyo will
hand over the bonuses during a celebration at the Taman Anggrek
building, West Jakarta, on Aug. 16.
Novanto said that the medalists will receive the cash in five
installments over five years.
"The same kind of bonuses were given to the Indonesian
athletes who won medals in the 1995 Southeast Asian Games,"
Novanto said.
Susi and her fiance Alan Budikusuma shared Rp 1 billion in
cash bonuses from a number of businesses after winning two
singles badminton gold medals in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
(yan)