Donation sees KONI meet Asian budget
Donation sees KONI meet Asian budget
JAKARTA (JP): A business association has pledged Rp 2 billion
(US$175,000) out of Rp 5 billion the cash-strapped National
Sports Council will need to fly the Indonesian contingent to the
13th Asian Games in Bangkok in December, council secretary-
general Rudolf S. Warouw said on Monday.
Warouw said the organization, whom he said had requested
anonymity, would meet council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar later
this week to finalize the donation's details.
"The association understands we're facing financial problems
in sending our contingent to the Asiad," Warouw said without
elaborating whether the business group promised the aid
voluntarily or on the council's request.
The council said earlier this year it would ask businesses to
help it meet its budget for the Asiad preparations.
Warouw said he was optimistic the council would meet the
transportation expenses after governors of provinces where Asiad-
bound athletes were raised had agreed to cover the air fares of
their respective athletes.
Earlier in the day, the council official in charge of planning
and budgeting, Sudharno, said the council lacked Rp 2.5 billion
to fly the national team to Bangkok because the government could
cover only half of the transportation expenses.
Sudharno said the government assistance was enough for 105
athletes and officials. He added the government had yet to
disburse the fund.
"If we cannot get more money, than we will pay the ticket
fares of athletes from top priority sports only," he said.
Indonesia has selected 132 athletes to take part in 19 sports
at the Asiad. With the council expecting only 11 sports to win
Indonesia medals, eight events are rated second priority.
The national flag carrier, Garuda Indonesia, has offered a
special return ticket price of $250 per seat. The Bangkok Asian
Games Organizing Committee has slashed $50 off the board and
lodging fees of $60 per athlete per day for all athletes during
the quadrennial event, which takes place from Dec. 6 to Dec. 20.
State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Agung Laksono urged
the 19th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games underwriting consortium on
Monday to pay its debts to the government and other institutions
by the end of the year.
The consortium, chaired by former president Soeharto's son
Bambang Trihatmodjo, has still to return Rp 35 billion of the
reforestation fund it borrowed from the Ministry of Forestry and
Plantations, pay its Rp 1 billion debt to the Gelora Senayan
Management Board and about Rp 9 billion to several hotels,
including the Hotel Atlet Century Park.
Chief of the Senayan management board Yasidi Hambali has said
he would donate the consortium's debt payment to the sports
council.
The consortium reported a Rp 68.1 billion deficit in staging
the SEA Games last October. (yan)