KONI to disburse $1.9b for 2001 SEA Games training

KONI to disburse $1.9b for 2001 SEA Games training

JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) will disburse
the Rp 1.99 billion (US$209,500) training budget for the 2001
Southeast Asian Games in a decree to be issued by chairman
Wismoyo Arismunandar.

KONI deputy official in charge of planning and budget Sudharno
said on Tuesday the decree would be issued this week.

The Rp 1.99 billion was allocated by the government in
November to finance 1,125 athletes from 30 sports events,
currently training at their respective hometowns until the end of
this month.

KONI will select the athletes, in January, based on their
physical fitness before the centralized training camp, to be held
in certain provinces, begins in February.

"The decree is a little bit late as there is a difference in
the athletes' name lists between KONI's version and the sports
organizations' version. We have to make things clear because we
have to account for all our expenses to the government," he said.

Sudharno said each athlete would receive a Rp 250,000 monthly
allowance while coaches would receive a monthly allowance of Rp
400,000 each.

The money should have been disbursed earlier because the
training program for the biennial event had started in October.

"I don't know how the athletes are managing to attend the
training. Perhaps they are being supported by their sports
organization, the provincial sports council or their parents. The
most important thing is that they have to continue training," he
said.

Sudharno said the cost incurred for each athlete was Rp 2.5
million per month including allowance, health care and training
and for a coach, Rp 3.5 million.

Sudharno also said that KONI did not know if the training
program would continue next year due to the financial shortage.

KONI needs RP 77.4 billion to finance the training of a full
scale contingent comprising 707 athletes, 177 local coaches and
25 foreign coaches.

He said last Tuesday, KONI secretary-general Rudolf S. Warouw
had sent a letter to Gelora Senayan Management Board (BPGS) to
ask for some Rp 67.48 billion of financial aid. KONI has also
asked for a further Rp 5.8 billion to reward the athletes who
have managed to win medals in the Games.

"As of today, we have not received any reply from BPGS," he
said.

He also said that KONI had also asked for financial support
from the companies who sponsored the Indonesian contingent in the
2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. The sponsors includes McDonald's
Indonesia and Samsung Indonesia.

"We have not discussed the amount," he said. (ivy)