Games medal winners cash in on victories
Games medal winners cash in on victories
JAKARTA (JP): Cash bonuses for National Games winners made the
headlines in the country's sports pages over the weekend after 12
days of hectic competition finished Friday.
The size of the awards, a preferable substitute for
traditional floral garlands, varied from province to province,
but there is no denying that the vast majority of medal winners
across the archipelago are richer than they were before the
Games.
Central Java is the only province not rewarding its sporting
heroes. Governor Suwardi told his athletes arriving in Semarang
Sunday that his administration would not provide anything for the
medalists.
"As long as I am at the helm of this province, there will be
no cash bonuses for Central Java's athletes. For those who don't
agree with my policy I'll let you race to other provinces for
cash," Suwardi was quoted by Antara as saying,
Leftovers from the province's Games budget are to be used to
build sports facilities, said the governor.
Suwardi promised that rewards will be given in other forms,
such as jobs in provincial offices and direct admittance to
state-run universities.
In Kendari, Governor La Ode Kaimoeddin handed out Rp 5 million
(US$2,146) to each of Southeast Sulawesi's 11 gold medalists, Rp
3 million to the four silver medalists and Rp 2 million to the
nine athletes who won bronzes during a ceremony yesterday
attended by Minister of Public Works Radinal Moochtar, who was
there on an official visit.
The province finished 14th in the medal standings, three
places lower than three years ago. Nine of the golds in this
year's Games came from water sports.
"Don't look at the amount, which may be less than that
received by athletes from other provinces. We have to thank this
province's 1.4 million people who contributed to the bonuses,"
Kaimoeddin said.
Jakarta's medal winners are enjoying the biggest bonuses, with
each gold medalist receiving three times the amount given to
their Southeast Sulawesi counterparts. A Jakartan silver medalist
is Rp 7.5 million richer, while the bronze medalists bagged Rp 4
million.
Each member of a gold, silver and bronze medal-winning team
received Rp 7.5 million, Rp 5 million and Rp 2.5 million
respectively. And athletes who left the Games empty-handed were
awarded consolation bonuses of Rp 1 million.
Record-breaking performances were also worth whopping bonuses,
with a Southeast Asian Games mark priced at Rp 5 million, a
national record worth Rp 3 million and a meet record going for Rp
2.5 million.
"The amount of the bonuses is small compared to your efforts
and I don't think that you fought for glory because of the
bonuses," Governor Surjadi Soedirdja told his athletes during a
get-together celebration on Sunday.
Jakarta was crowned the overall champion for a record eighth
successive time, scooping 141 golds, 83 silvers and 79 bronzes.
West Javanese medal winners lived up to their status as
runners-up to Jakarta, emerging the second richest with Rp 12.5
million given to a gold medalists, Rp 6.2 million to silver
medalists and Rp 3.1 million to bronze medalists.
Central Kalimantan awarded Rp 6 million to its gold-medal
winners, Rp 3 million to the silver medalists and Rp 1.5 million
to the bronze medalists. (amd)