KONI gets Rp 500m donation for 2001 SEA Games
JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI)'s complaints of financial shortages apparently attracted the attention of publicly listed animal feed and poultry company Japfa Comfeed Indonesia.
The company, which has sponsored numerous chess competitions in the past, donated Rp 500 million (US$44,250) on Thursday to help finance the preparations for the Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
"Japfa commissioner Pak Syamsir Siregar handed over the check to KONI this morning. It was not a sponsorship but instead purely a donation. He didn't ask to be categorized as a sponsor," KONI spokesman Ahmed Solichin said.
The donation means KONI has now collected Rp 29 billion of the Rp 48.6 billion needed for the final preparations for the Sept. 8 to Sept. 17 Games.
State-owned cellular operator Telkomsel signed a Rp 500 million-deal with KONI on Monday to sponsor the Indonesian contingent to the Games.
Meanwhile, PRSI (the Indonesian Swimming Federation) is setting its sights on silver in the water polo competition at the Games, admitting gold is unlikely because defending champion Singapore is too strong.
"Singapore is very powerful in water polo, having claimed the gold medal 12 times in a row. Indonesia so far has always managed to grab either bronze or silver," PRSI's technical committee deputy, Andreas Legawa, said on the sideline of the national water polo championship at the Bung Karno swimming pool.
"This time our target is to reach the final."
Indonesia only managed to earn a bronze in the 1999 Games in Brunei Darussalam.
PRSI is grooming 15 water polo athletes for the Games but will only send 13 players to Kuala Lumpur. In the national championship, which is also serving as a tryout, PRSI is fielding the Pelatnas A and Pelatnas B teams.
Both teams proved to be too strong for provincial teams. Pelatnas A pounded West Java B 30-2 and Pelatnas B blasted East Java A 15-1.
"Two players from the Pelatnas B team will be excluded after the championship," said Andreas. (nvn)