Local McDonald's serves up support for Olympic team

Local McDonald's serves up support for Olympic team

JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) chairman
Wismoyo Arismunandar may complain that the government pays little
attention to sports, but people throughout the country have
proved themselves otherwise.

Their attention has been channeled into buying fast food at
McDonald's Indonesia, the official restaurant for the Olympic
Games in Sydney in September.

For every transaction at the fast food chain's restaurants,
the firm's management pledged Rp 100 (1 US cent) for the
country's Olympic contingent. Thanks to the costumers, McDonald's
Indonesia has so far managed to raise Rp 1.482.468.100 to help
Indonesia's Olympic push.

The amount raised so far is over the estimated Rp 1 billion.

KONI chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar expressed his surprise at
the amount raised on Tuesday, saying it showed how people were
hoping local athletes would perform well at the quadrennial event
from Sept. 15 to Oct. 1.

"People love you and you have to love them back by giving your
best at the event. Winning gold medals will pay back their
support," he said in his speech at a ceremony marking the handing
over of Rp 1 billion of the fund.

Also present at the ceremony was the newly crowned Indonesia
Open badminton champion Taufik Hidayat, who said of his Sydney
ambitions: "My target in the Olympics is to win the gold medal in
the men's singles."

Women's diver Shenny Ratna Amelia shared the optimism of her
countryman, saying she was aiming to finish in the top 18, or at
least be the best Southeast Asian diver at the event.

Indonesia only managed one gold in the 1996 Olympics -- the
badminton men's doubles partnership of Ricky Subagja and Rexy
Mainaky. The gold medal tradition began in 1992 when Susy Susanti
and Alan Budikusuma won gold in the women's and men's singles
badminton respectively.

The fund raising campaign, which began on Feb. 22, was
scheduled to end on Oct. 22 but McDonald's Indonesia decided to
end it at the end of this month. It is estimated that the total
funds raised will reach Rp 1.6 billion.

"When we started the campaign, we announced we would raise Rp
1 billion. We did in only five months instead of the estimated
eight. We have to end the campaign as it has reached its target
and we have announced it to our costumers in the small ceremony
today," said McDonald's Indonesia president director, Bambang
Rachmadi.

Bambang indicated a possibility that his company would
continue cooperating with KONI in the future, especially in the
run-up to the 21st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur.

Wismoyo said the rest of the money would be used to finance
the SEA Games long-term training program, which starts next
month, in an effort to regain the overall champion title.

Indonesia only managed to finish third in the medal tally
following Thailand and Malaysia at the last Games.

In addition to McDonald's Indonesia, KONI has received Rp 4.2
billion for its Olympics campaign from the government, Rp 2
billion from Gelora Senayan Management Board and US$100,000 from
PT Samsung Electronics Indonesia. (yan)