KONI calls for SEA Games bonuses
<p>KONI calls for SEA Games bonuses</p><p> JAKARTA (JP): National Sports Council (KONI) chairman Wismoyo
Arismunandar is holding out for the government to provide
insurance bonuses to medalists in the 20th Southeast Asian (SEA)
Games, despite the refusal of State Minister of Youth Affairs and
Sports Agung Laksono.</p><p>"I will try hard to make the government provide the bonus as a
reward to the athletes. It will be more precious and prestigious
if the bonus comes from the government instead of KONI," he said
on Tuesday.</p><p>KONI has urged the government to provide Rp 2.5 billion
(US$329,000) for bonuses. The government, through the National
Development and Planning Board, has handed over Rp 5.5 billion to
finance the SEA Games training program, but Agung said there were
no more funds.</p><p>KONI also received Rp 4.5 billion in financial assistance from
the Gelora Senayan Management Board.</p><p>"I think Pak Agung was talking about the preparation fund, not
the bonus. I will also try to find another way, perhaps by making
requests to state enterprises," Wismoyo said.</p><p>He said he discussed the matter with State Minister of the
Empowerment of State Enterprises Tanri Abeng and received a
favorable response.</p><p>"His response was very good. I think we can obtain about Rp 2
billion from the state enterprises' profits," he said.</p><p>Wismoyo said he was considering distributing about Rp 25
million in insurance bonuses for gold medalists, Rp 2 million for
silver medalists and Rp 1 million for bronze medalists. The
amounts are the same as were awarded to medalists two years ago.</p><p>Earlier Tuesday, executive director of the Indonesian Pencak
Silat Association (IPSI) Oyong Karmayudha was pessimistic about
his athletes' chances in the event, to be held in Brunei from
Aug. 7 to Aug. 15.</p><p>"Indonesia is facing tough challenges this year because six of
10 participating countries hired our national coaches. Some
events have their tryout here but Indonesia doesn't have anywhere
else to train," he said.</p><p>Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and Brunei
have hired Indonesian coaches. Singaporeans have been practicing
in Surabaya and Jakarta while Brunei's athletes are training in
Bandung and Jakarta. Vietnamese athletes trained here two months
ago.</p><p>Indonesia -- which will field 10 male and five female athletes
in the bouts and six males and six females in the martial arts
performance category -- only has a chance to win 12 of 21 golds
on offer. Two years ago it won 17 of 20 golds, with the rest
taken by Vietnam.</p><p>Oyong said on Aug. 12 that about 20 countries' representatives
would gather in Brunei to attend the official establishment of
the Asia Pacific Pencak Silat Federation. A regional federation
is one of the requirements for a sport to be featured at the 2002
Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea.</p><p>The federation's next program is to stage the Malaysian Open
in June 2000 in Kuala Lumpur and the 2000 World Championships,
hopefully in Kuwait.(yan)</p>
Arismunandar is holding out for the government to provide
insurance bonuses to medalists in the 20th Southeast Asian (SEA)
Games, despite the refusal of State Minister of Youth Affairs and
Sports Agung Laksono.</p><p>"I will try hard to make the government provide the bonus as a
reward to the athletes. It will be more precious and prestigious
if the bonus comes from the government instead of KONI," he said
on Tuesday.</p><p>KONI has urged the government to provide Rp 2.5 billion
(US$329,000) for bonuses. The government, through the National
Development and Planning Board, has handed over Rp 5.5 billion to
finance the SEA Games training program, but Agung said there were
no more funds.</p><p>KONI also received Rp 4.5 billion in financial assistance from
the Gelora Senayan Management Board.</p><p>"I think Pak Agung was talking about the preparation fund, not
the bonus. I will also try to find another way, perhaps by making
requests to state enterprises," Wismoyo said.</p><p>He said he discussed the matter with State Minister of the
Empowerment of State Enterprises Tanri Abeng and received a
favorable response.</p><p>"His response was very good. I think we can obtain about Rp 2
billion from the state enterprises' profits," he said.</p><p>Wismoyo said he was considering distributing about Rp 25
million in insurance bonuses for gold medalists, Rp 2 million for
silver medalists and Rp 1 million for bronze medalists. The
amounts are the same as were awarded to medalists two years ago.</p><p>Earlier Tuesday, executive director of the Indonesian Pencak
Silat Association (IPSI) Oyong Karmayudha was pessimistic about
his athletes' chances in the event, to be held in Brunei from
Aug. 7 to Aug. 15.</p><p>"Indonesia is facing tough challenges this year because six of
10 participating countries hired our national coaches. Some
events have their tryout here but Indonesia doesn't have anywhere
else to train," he said.</p><p>Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and Brunei
have hired Indonesian coaches. Singaporeans have been practicing
in Surabaya and Jakarta while Brunei's athletes are training in
Bandung and Jakarta. Vietnamese athletes trained here two months
ago.</p><p>Indonesia -- which will field 10 male and five female athletes
in the bouts and six males and six females in the martial arts
performance category -- only has a chance to win 12 of 21 golds
on offer. Two years ago it won 17 of 20 golds, with the rest
taken by Vietnam.</p><p>Oyong said on Aug. 12 that about 20 countries' representatives
would gather in Brunei to attend the official establishment of
the Asia Pacific Pencak Silat Federation. A regional federation
is one of the requirements for a sport to be featured at the 2002
Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea.</p><p>The federation's next program is to stage the Malaysian Open
in June 2000 in Kuala Lumpur and the 2000 World Championships,
hopefully in Kuwait.(yan)</p>