KONI spends Rp 1.59b on Olympics training

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)