KONI gets aid as intake surpasses budget

KONI gets aid as intake surpasses budget

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The National Sports Council (KONI), which is busily preparing a
squad for the Asian Games, has received a Rp 5 billion
(US$560,000) check from the State Ministry of State Enterprises.

The check was presented to KONI chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar
by State Enterprises Minister Laksamana Sukardi at the Century
Hotel in Central Jakarta on Tuesday.

Laksamana, who was accompanied by top officials from several
state enterprises (BUMNs) under his supervision, said that giving
financial support was their obligation to assist the athletes
with their preparation.

"This is not 'aid', this is our obligation. We hope it will
provide the athletes with extra motivation," Laksamana said to
the applause of athletes attending the presentation.

He said that the money was accrued from the state enterprises,
with each contributing two percent of their revenue.

Wismoyo, who was the first to give a speech, pleaded with the
athletes to train and work harder in order to give their best
performance in Busan, South Korea.

Busan is the venue for the Asian Games, which will run from
Sept. 29 through Oct. 14.

"You have to repay it with an achievement in Busan," Wismoyo
told the athletes.

"You have to feel it. If not, I'm not sure whether or not
you're human. You have to fight until you give off steam out
there in Busan," he said.

The check was the latest package commitment, either realized
or being processed, that KONI had obtained in its fund-raising
campaign for participating in the Asian Games.

It received a financial boost from the government through the
Ministry of National Education, the Bung Karno Sports Complex
Management (BPGBK) and general contractor Aneka Bina Lestari.

KONI officials in charge of budget affairs said Bank Mandiri,
Sampoerna, Samsung and Telkomsel would follow soon with their
pledges, bringing the total amount of financial help to Rp 41.5
billion.

This sum will surpass the budget, which is set at Rp 40
billion.

KONI's head for budget affairs Togi Hutagaol and his assistant
Soedarno, who were interviewed on separate occasions, said that
they had spent between Rp 15 billion and Rp 20 billion to conduct
the training program, which began early this year.

"If we have a surplus at the end of the Asian Games, then it
will be allocated toward the preparation for the next SEA Games,"
Togi said, referring to the Southeast Asian meet scheduled for
next year in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, training project manager Rudolf Warouw said KONI
was grooming 104 athletes. The figure is a 20 percent decrease
from the 176 at the start of training camp in January.

Recalling KONI's mission that it would send only athletes with
good medal prospects, Rudolf said further elimination was
possible until the end of this month when the entry forms would
have to be submitted to the Busan Asian Games Organizing
Committee (BAGOC).