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)