Big bonuses for best SEAG athletes

Big bonuses for best SEAG athletes

JAKARTA (JP): To honor the successful members of the
Indonesian 19th SEA Games contingent, the organizing consortium
and National Sports Council handed over bonuses in the form of
insurance policies yesterday.

Cyclist Nurhayati and gymnast Jonathan Mangiring Sianturi each
received Rp 125 million (US$34,720), 80 percent in policies and
the rest in cash. They will be given the cash today.

Both Nurhayati and Jonathan won five golds in individual
events during the Games, which started on Oct. 11 and ended
Sunday. Jonathan also won another gold in the team event,
completing his supremacy with six golds.

"I thank God for his blessings and for giving us a good leader
who pays so much attention to his athletes," Jonathan said after
receiving the bonus.

Speechless Nurhayati could only thank everyone for the
attention she had received.

They also received motorcycles from PT Yamaha, along with
runner Supriati Sutono, who won three golds and broke three SEA
Games records, and swimmers Catherine Surya and Rita Mariani, who
broke two SEA Games records.

Weight lifter Sri Indriyani received a 36-square-meter house
in Cibinong, Bogor, from PT Daksa for her outstanding performance
in breaking a junior world record.

Although weight lifter Kassaraporn Suta of Thailand broke the
world record in the clean and jerk in her category, but in the
multi-event her total lift did not eclipse the old record.

State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman said
in his speech: "The Thai weight lifter only broke the clean and
jerk record not the total lift record as required in the multi-
event. That's why Sri Indriyani deserves the house more than
her."

PT Aspac also gave Rp 2 million in cash to athletes who
performed outstandingly and beat higher ranked players. Hatimin
and Lampa in rowing, who each won five golds; Wukirasih Sawondari
and Liza Andriyani who defeated Thailand's world ranked 37th
tennis player Tamarine Tanasugarn; and Candra Wijaya/Elyza, who
beat world number one shuttlers Tri Kusharjanto/Minarti Timur in
the badminton mixed doubles individual event, received the
bonuses.

Council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar said: "You enable the
nation to walk tall again. You have returned the country's
dignity despite pessimistic forecasts about your likely
performance before the Games started."

"Next year, we'll face a bigger challenge to compete in the
15th Asian Games in Bangkok and other international events."

Sports observer Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar said: "There will
be a great need to train and to compete overseas, not only here
at home. The athletes can't develop a tough mental attitude
without experiencing lots of competition."

Earlier, the Games consortium's executive director, Bambang
Yoga Sugama, said the consortium still had to pay the
accommodation arrears, amounting to 30 percent of the total bill,
the cost of returning the visiting contingents' sports equipment
home and other miscellaneous expenses.

"Some of our profits are being used to finance the
transportation department."

The consortium imported hundreds of built-up cars for the
Games.

The council's treasurer, Setya Novanto, said the Ministry of
Transportation had given Rp 15 billion to the consortium raised
from sticker sales in airports. (04/yan)