E. Java athletes wait for bonuses
E. Java athletes wait for bonuses
JAKARTA (JP): Although Governor Basofi Soedirman is ready to award bonuses to the East Javanese who broke records at the National Games last month, he cannot do so until the East Java chapter of the National Sports Council receives the official list of record breakers from the Games organizing committee.
"We've asked and even sent a representative to the organizing committee about the athletes data but the organizers said that they could not provide exact data," chairman of the council's East Java chapter, Abdul Hamid, said yesterday in Surabaya.
"They asked us to send an official letter last week but there is still no answer today," he said.
Abdul Hamid, also a deputy Surabaya governor, said that East Java could not award the bonuses until competition data had been endorsed by the organizers.
"The bonus from East Java businesspeople is ready and I'm ready to award it right now if only the data from the organizers were complete," he said.
East Javanese businesspeople have donated money for cash bonuses for all record breakers at the Games, no matter which province they represent.
East Java medalists have been awarded a total Rp 5.3 billion (US$2.25 million) in bonuses from the province's budget.
East Java hopes to hold the next National Games in its capital, Surabaya.
East Java finished third in the recent Games with 65 gold medals, 83 silvers and 79 bronzes. Host Jakarta won with 141 golds, 84 silvers and 79 bronzes. West Java came second with 71 golds, 85 silvers and 97 bronzes.
The organizers reported that 156 Games records, 72 national records and 13 Southeast Asian Games records were broken. Thirty Asian Games records and 12 junior world records were also broken.
Abdul said national record breakers would be given Rp 5 million bonuses; Southeast Asian Games record breakers would be given Rp 7.5 million; Asian Games record breakers would be granted Rp 10 million; and Olympics record breakers would be given Rp 15 million each.
Many athletes have gone to the Surabaya chapter of the sports council wondering about their promised bonuses. (yan)