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)