KONI spends Rp 1.59b on Olympics training

JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) has spent Rp 1.59 billion (US$213,332) as of Thursday to finance the training preparations of 72 athletes, 25 national coaches and four foreign coaches for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

KONI deputy official in charge of planning and budget, Sudharno, said on Friday that badminton was given the biggest allocation with table tennis the least.

"With 31 shuttlers and seven coaches, badminton training preparations cost Rp 515,850,000 from February to April. KONI financially supported the badminton team to two overseas tryouts in the All England championships in Birmingham and in the Thomas and Uber Cups in Kuala Lumpur," he said.

He said that the sole table tennis player to qualify for the quadrennial event, Anton Suseno, only required Rp 4.35 million to finance his training.

"The amount was very small because Anton just asked for financial support in March," he explained.

He said that the amount mentioned above also covered medical treatment fees and doping tests, which cost Rp 800,000 per person. "I have disbursed all the money to the sports organization," he added.

He said weightlifting needed Rp 54,150,000, track and field Rp 105,300,000, judo Rp 76,800,000, archery Rp 81,811,100, swimming and diving Rp 79,950,000, windsurfing Rp 44,998,200, tae kwon do Rp 100,650,000, tennis Rp 42,600,000 and boxing Rp 146,664,200.

The amount of money for the only windsurfer who was training for the Olympics, Oka Sulaksana, would be enough to finance his training until June, while for the two judokas, Aprilia Marzuki and Kresna Bayu, it would last until this month, Sudharno said.

"The amount of money given to an athlete includes transportation from his or her hometown to the training center, accommodation, allowances, recreation, laundry, tryouts and training equipment," he said.

He said KONI still had Rp 2,63 billion for training preparations from May to August. (ivy)