Indonesian shuttlers get IOC travel funds

Indonesian shuttlers get IOC travel funds

JAKARTA (JP): The International Olympic Committee has granted five top Indonesian badminton players financial support to fund their international outings ahead of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

The funds, which cover travel expenses, as well as insurance, from Jan. 1 this year through June 30 next year, go to Susi Susanti, Yuliani Sentosa, Joko Suprianto, Ardy Wiranata and Hariyanto Arbi. These athletes are all expected to qualify for the Olympics.

The financial aid package, initiated by Olympic Solidarity, is given to athletes from developing countries who are likely to make an appearance in Atlanta.

"IOC has so far approved aiding our shuttlers only," RAJ Gosal, secretary-general of the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI), said on Monday night. PBSI received the funds last week.

Gosal would not elaborate on how much the Indonesian shuttlers had received.

Gosal said the men's doubles team was not included in the aid recipient list because PBSI wanted to give priority to singles players.

Gosal said that IOC would stop the aid and name new recipients if the top players failed to maintain their world rankings. Susi and Hariyanto, who are gearing up for their title defense at the All-England championships, top the latest rankings issued by the International Badminton Federation (IBF) in women's singles and men's singles respectively. Yuliani, Joko and Ardy are ranked among the players.

Only 16 spots are offered in each of five badminton individual events in the 1996 Olympics. A country is allowed to field a maximum of two players in each division, but badminton superpower Indonesia has the privilege of sending three players. Five gold medals are at stake at the 1996 Olympics.

Indonesia took its first Olympic gold medal when Susi and her fiancee Alan Budikusuma romped home with badminton singles titles in the women's and men's respectively in Barcelona in 1992.(amd)