JP/10/PBSI

JAKARTA (JP): The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) has denied that promises were made by entrepreneurs to pay cash bonuses to the national badminton teams if they brought home the world team cups.

"Up to now, we haven't heard from them (entrepreneurs) that they will award our players an enormous amount of cash," PBSI chairman Soerjadi said during a victory celebration dinner on Tuesday.

Soerjadi was commenting on media reports that a group of businessmen were willing to give rewards to the shuttlers. Several tycoons had reportedly collected Rp 1 billion (US$468,000) in cash for Joko Suprianto and teammates, who managed a clean sweep in the prestigious Thomas Cup and Uber Cup finals over the weekend.

Soerjadi attacked the stories on this issue as causing unrest among the players. "I consider the support of the country's 180 million people to be the most valuable gift," he said. Soerjadi, who is also the Deputy of the Army, asked pressmen to be careful when publishing stories on cash rewards.

The Indonesian men's team claimed their ninth Thomas Cup title, but their first in the past decade, after downing holder Malaysia 3-0 in Saturday's shortened final. The women's squad, sparked by three debutantes, denied China of a sixth successive Uber Cup victory in a 3-2 nail-biter.

Indonesia captured both symbols of supremacy in world badminton in 1976, when a Rudy Hartono led squad lifted the country's fifth Thomas Cup in addition to the first Uber Cup title won by the women, which was played in the previous year. Both championships have been contested at the same occasion since 1984.

Rp 2 billion

The well-known construction magnate Ciputra organized a number of businessmen to earmarking Rp 2 billion ($936,000) in cash bonuses for the badminton players who snatched two golds, two silvers and a bronze at the 1992 Olympics.

Susi Susanti and boyfriend Alan Budikusuma, who won gold medals in women's singles and men's singles respectively, shared half of the bonuses, while the rest went to Alan's runner-up Ardy Wiranata, men's doubles silver medalists Edy Hartono and Rudy Gunawan and men's singles bronze winner Hermawan Susanto.

"We welcome any commitments of cash rewards, but PBSI will distribute them in line with the principle of equality," Soerjadi said.

"We'd rather each badminton player receive the same amount of money to prevent any social envy among the players," he added.

PBSI executive chairman Sumaryono had said earlier that the organization would provide bonuses of equal measure to each player and coach. Sumaryono, however, declined to mention the size of the cash rewards.

Smiles

Smiles were all that filled the dinner, attended also by Chairman Surono of the governing national sports body, when Joko, women's doubles specialist Finarsih and men's team coach Indra Gunawan delivered spontaneous speeches.

"We bore a heavy mental burden during our three-month training stint. No dating or films. Ardy could hardly overcome his temper," Joko said when he described how rigorous the training sessions he and his teammates had undergone.

"Some of us were so nervous that they could not sleep or eat," he added. "Thank God we could win even without eating and sleeping," Joko joked.

Finarsih's teammates seemed to agree with her when she took an oath of continuing their success with gold medals at Hiroshima's Asian Games in October. "We will complete our glory by taking top honors we have never won," she said amid the audiences applause. (amd)