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)