Cash bonuses offered to SEAG gold medalists
Cash bonuses offered to SEAG gold medalists
JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council promised yesterday
to award Rp 25 million (US$11,300) cash bonuses to each
Indonesian athlete who wins a gold medal in the 18th Southeast
Asian Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand next month.
Chairman of the council Wismoyo Arismunandar said yesterday
that either an individual event gold medalist or a team event
gold medal winner will receive the same amount.
The council has also earmarked cash bonuses for silver and
bronze medalists, but Wismoyo failed to go into details about the
amount of money to be given them.
"Giving bonuses is just one of a number of ways to thank our
athletes who devote themselves for the country's pride," Wismoyo
said.
Cash bonuses, as well as houses, have become a traditional
stimulant to boost national athletes' performance in the SEA
Games. In 1993, the council rewarded each gold medalist Rp 1
million, a silver medalist Rp 750,000 and a bronze medalist Rp
500,000 after Indonesia retained the overall title.
Wismoyo introduced a new kind of award for sportsmen and women
in August when he proposed retirement insurance worth Rp 1
billion ($454,000) for each athlete that wins a gold medal in the
1996 Olympic Games.
As the SEA Games draw near, the 472 Indonesian athletes bound
for the biennial event have been urged to avoid injuries.
The national team project officer, Arie Sudewo, was prompted
yesterday to underline the remark following a leg injury suffered
by badminton queen Susi Susanti.
"No changes are allowed after Nov. 18 (today). Therefore,
everybody should maintain their form," said Arie, who is also
deputy chairman of the National Sports Council.
Nov. 18 is the deadline for submitting entry forms by the
Chiang Mai's SEA Games organizing committee.
When he disclosed the national team's line-up on Tuesday Arie
said reserved athletes were included in the list.
Susi strained her Achilles tendon in her semifinal defeat to
South Korean Bang Soo-hyun in the China Open last week. The
Olympic women's singles gold medalist is taking a rest before
resuming her chase for the world top ranking in the season-ending
tournament in Singapore next week.
Recovery
Arie made it clear that Susi will regain her form for the SEA
Games, scheduled for Dec. 9 to 17. "I have received a medical
report saying that Susi's injury is not that serious. She will
recover soon," he said.
Susi, winner of four titles this season, is expected to
spearhead Indonesia's quest for a clean sweep in the SEA Games
badminton competition. Indonesia has produced such a feat only
twice, in 1981 and 1987, since its affiliation to the games in
1977.
The Indonesian contingent, which also includes 118 coaches and
101 officials, will depart for Chiang Mai on Dec. 6 in two
batches. The bigger pack will leave in the morning, while the
rest will follow in the afternoon.
Soccer, cycling, gymnastic and table tennis teams will not
join the national contingent take off on Dec. 6 at the Soekarno-
Hatta airport.
Indonesia's 20 soccer players are scheduled to fly for Chiang
Mai on Dec. 2, two days before the soccer competition kicks off.
The other three small teams are now undergoing stints overseas
and will go to Thailand once they completed their programs. (amd)