Big insurance money for Olympic stars

JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council plans to award Rp 1 billion (US$454,500) worth of insurance to each Indonesian athlete who wins a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Spokesman of the council, Ishadi, said over the weekend that KONI has made the proposal to five of the nation's biggest insurance companies, which will bid to be the official insurance company for the national Olympic team.

However, Ishadi refused to name the five insurance firms bidding. "You can guess who they are," Ishadi said.

Ishadi was guardedly optimistic when asked if the plan would become reality. "We have completed 75 per cent of our job," he said.

The insurance money will be given to the gold medal winning athletes five years after their victories. They will receive the cash in five installment over 10 years.

Ishadi said the cash rewards would serve as a strong incentive for the national athletes to do their best during the summer games.

"Insurance differs from cash prizes which known only in professional sports," Ishadi said when confronted with amateurism principles which outlaw cash prizes.

Susi Susanti and her fiance Alan Budikusuma shared Rp 1 billion in cash bonuses from a number of businessmen after winning two singles badminton gold medals in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

Ishadi said KONI will have to clear a big problem if a team wins an Olympic gold. "It will be unfair if each member of a winning team receives the same amount as an individual gold medalist," said Ishadi. (amd)