Jakarta gears up to greet winners

Jakarta gears up to greet winners

JAKARTA (JP): A parade through the capital has been planned
for tomorrow to welcome home Indonesia's Olympians.

It remains doubtful however whether huge crowds will turn out
as they did four years ago, but the Indonesian athletes have
something to cheer with their medals.

Spokesman of the National Sports Council, Ishadi SK, told
reporters after a meeting with the council's officials yesterday
that the national squad will be transported in open cars from
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to the council's office on
Jl. Jendral Sudirman, Central Jakarta.

Ishadi said that either Coordinating Minister for People's
Welfare Azwar Anas or State Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports
Hayono Isman will lead a ceremony prior to the team's arrival at
10.00 a.m.

Chairman of the council, Wismoyo Arismunandar, will receive
the contingent at his office.

Indonesia won one gold, one silver and two bronze medals, a
drop from the two golds it won in 1992. All the medals came from
badminton.

The gold was won by men's duo Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky,
who beat Malaysian pair Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock in the
final.

The country's young badminton hope Mia Audina had to settle
for the silver after losing to Bang Soo-hyun, the conqueror of
badminton queen Susi Susanti in the semifinals.

Susi, gold medalist in 1992, returns home with a bronze after
beating Kim Ji-hyun in the playoff.

Another men's pair, Antonius and Denny Kantono, won the other
bronze.

Hayono indicated that during the welcome ceremony, both Ricky
and Rexy will be awarded the Bintang Utama medal from the
government for their Olympic success.

However, Ishadi said that the State Secretary has yet to
confirm the award.

Susi and Alan Budikusuma were granted the same medals from the
government for their triumph in the 1992 Olympics.

Ishadi also refused to disclose any possibility of awarding
cash bonuses to the athletes, a tradition that has long existed
here.

"I'm not authorized to disclose such information. It's all up
to the chairman," he said. Ishadi hinted last year that the
council had planned to give Olympic gold medal winners Rp 1
billion. (yan)