Govt honors Thomas Cup team

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie marked National Sports Day on Wednesday by presenting medals to the victorious Thomas Cup men's badminton team in Surabaya.

The 10-member and its manager Agus Wirahadikusumah were granted Satya Kebudayaan medals at the 10 November Stadium in the East Java capital. Badminton coach Indra Gunawan and the team's deputy manager Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar received the Wira Karya medal. The team won the sport's most prestigious men's team event for a record 11th time in Hong Kong in May.

Awards were also presented to 139 citizens, four provinces and two companies for their distinguished efforts in developing sports in the country. The people comprised 90 athletes, 23 sports promoters, four coaches and five referees.

In a brief speech, Habibie said the country still needed to work hard to improve its sports' performance.

The President was originally scheduled to inaugurate a new stadium in the neighboring town of Sidoardjo, but the ceremony was canceled due to a mass protest demanding his resignation. Habibie flew back to Jakarta shortly after the medal presentation. (lnt)