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)