'Govt should pay more attention to athletes'

'Govt should pay more attention to athletes'

The 22nd Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam will close on Saturday.
The Indonesian squad has managed to maintain third place in the
medal standings among 11 competing countries. But many have
complained that this is not good enough, as they dwell on the
country's former glory at the games. The Jakarta Post talked to
some people about their impression of the country's achievement
in sports.

Umi, 26, is a journalist with a teen magazine in Salemba,
Central Jakarta. She moved here from Yogyakarta three months ago:

I don't have a TV, so I cannot watch all the events. But I did
notice the young athlete who won the first gold medal in archery.

She is still in high school but she was able to give her best
to the country.

But, sometimes I feel sorry for athletes who achieved great
feats only to be forgotten after retirement. The government
should provide for these athletes and recognize their
contribution to the country.

After all that has happened in our country, our squad in
Vietnam has made it into the top five. That's awesome! I am so
proud of them!

Agus, 19, is a trainee office boy with a private company. He
lives in Ciputat, South Jakarta, with his parents:

SEA Games? Oh, that sports competition among countries? Yeah,
I remember now. When does it start anyway? Tomorrow?

I think our sports teams are doing better lately. Especially
the badminton players. Like the emergence of Sonny (Dwi Kuncoro)
who is on a par with Taufik (Hidayat). But the women's squad has
yet to find someone like Susi (Susanti).

The national football team is so-so. The players probably lack
team spirit. The coach is fine, I think the problem is with the
players themselves.

Lauren, 29, is a photographer with a news weekly based in
Central Jakarta. He lives in Tebet, South Jakarta, with his wife:

Indonesia is lagging behind the other Southeast Asian
countries in improving its athletes. There is a shortage of funds
I guess -- not enough money for the athlete's welfare and
development, not enough incentives for them to achieve good
results in the game. The government just does not put enough
money into sports.

The time is ripe for the government to improve our record in
sports. It should provide more facilities and more coaches of
good quality. On top of that, sports officials should give
athletes a bonus anytime they break a record.

--The Jakarta Post