KONI still has ambush agreement with sponsors
JAKARTA (JP): Head of the National Sports Council (KONI)'s sports business and industry commission, Fritz Simanjutak, expressed his disappointment on an ambush agreement between the council and its Olympic sponsors.
"It's the weakness of our sports world that we are still unable to officially protect our sponsors from so-called ambush agreements," he said during a visit to PT Samsung Electronics Indonesia in Cikarang on Thursday.
Fritz was responding to complaints that a national sports organization, from which athletes won medals, brought its own sponsors to Soekarno-Hatta international airport on the arrival back home of the Indonesian Olympic squad.
"Our sports organizations must have business ethics and these must be respected for the sake of our sponsors. I really regret what happened at the airport on Monday. But there was no coordination between the organization concerned and KONI, specially my commission," he said.
Meanwhile, KONI vice chairman Arie Sudewo, who was chef de mission in Sydney, rejected the view that the organization's sponsors took advantage of the golden moment.
"They just wanted to be involved in cheering our athletes. Besides, the occasion only lasted for a couple of hours. And anyway, our official sponsors' names were on our uniforms before, during and after the event."
Speaking on sponsor satisfaction, Fritz said that the athletes had fulfilled the sponsors' expectations by contributing one gold, three silvers and two bronzes from badminton and women's weightlifting, which was better than the 1996 Atlanta Olympics when Indonesia took home only one gold, one silver and two bronzes from badminton.
"The sponsors are very happy with our athletes' performances. It is a good sign for further cooperation. Imagine if they had failed to win a gold."
Arie also said that both KONI and the sponsors were in a win- win situation given the athletes' achievements.
"It is now more important for us to prepare our accountability report which will not only be addressed to our sponsors but also to the House of Representatives.
Arie also stated that so far KONI's sports business and industry commission had only managed to raise funds from sponsors when a multi-sports event was involved.
"As a start, the commission is only able to do that. But I hope for the 2001 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur, the commission can hold further negotiations with sponsors to help us financially in preparing our athletes," he said.
"I also hope our sponsors' activities during the Olympics will encourage other companies to collaborate with KONI."
KONI received sponsorship from Samsung and McDonalds Indonesia. It also received money from the National Development and Planning Board and the Gelora Senayan Management Board.
Extra Joss will hand over cash bonuses to the ,medalists in a ceremony on Saturday.
Gold medalists Candra Wijaya and Tony Gunawan received SGH A- 100 cell phones from Samsung and also a set of home appliances, including a refrigerator, television, VCD, DVD, washing machine, microwave and air-conditioning unit.
Silver medalists Tri Kusharjanto, Minarti Timur, Hendrawan and Lisa Rumbewas got SGH-800 phones and a set of home appliances. Bronze medalists Sri Indriyani and Winarni received SGH-600 phones and a set of home appliances. (yan)