Cola awards to Asiad medalists

JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the board of directors of PT Coca- cola Indonesia, Moetaryanto, yesterday symbolically handed over "Coca-cola athletic awards" to Arnold Lisapaly, the coordinator of Indonesian Asian Games coaches.

The awards, worth a total of Rp 80 million (US$36,697), were presented at KONI's head office in Senayan. The awards were delivered yesterday, after KONI's final briefing for the Indonesian Asian Games coaches who are scheduled to leave for Hiroshima on Sunday, said Yannus Hutapea, the public relation manager of the soft drink company.

Yannus said the awards, which are to be given to any Indonesian athlete who succeeds in bringing home a medal from Hiroshima, were deliberately given prior to the Games in order to motivate the participants.

The awards are in the form of one-year scholarships for athletes who are still in school, he said. Winning athletes who are not students, Yannus said, are entitled to gold and diamond jewelry.

According to Yannus, the weight of the jewelry will be commensurate with the kind of medal the athletes win. He declined to reveal whether the jewelry is in the form of necklaces, earrings or rings.

The giant soft drink company has sponsored many sports events held in the country, including the ongoing Asian Under-19 soccer championship, the Davis Cup world championships and the recent visit of basketball star Hakeem Olajuwon. (arf)