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)