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)