No Olympics TV upsets RI athletes
No Olympics TV upsets RI athletes
Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta
Indonesian athletes taking part in the 2004 Olympic Games in
Athens said they were disappointed that local TV stations would
not be broadcasting the Games, depriving viewers back home the
opportunity to watch their home athletes in action.
All 10 TV stations here have decided not to broadcast the
Olympics, citing weak commercial value and expensive broadcast
packages. However, the Kuala Lumpur-based Asia Pacific
Broadcasting Union (ABU) said it had lowered the prices of the
broadcast packages by hundreds of thousands dollars.
Several non-governmental organizations have criticized station
owners for thinking only of profit and failing to address public
needs.
A number of the Olympic athletes also expressed their
frustration with the stations, but were careful not to be too
harsh with their criticism.
Alven Yulianto, one of Indonesia's best medal hopes in
badminton, said he was disappointed that none of the local TV
stations would broadcast the event.
"Of course I feel disappointed, but as an athlete what can I
do?" Alven, a doubles specialist, said.
He speculated that the generally poor performance of badminton
players at recent international events may have influenced the
stations to pass on the Olympics.
"Maybe the TV stations think that none of us (badminton
players) will make it to the final rounds because of our poor
play at international events of late. Maybe that is why they
think it is not necessary to buy the broadcast rights," Alven
said.
He added that being written off in this manner would provide
added motivation to all of the athletes to prove that they were
worth watching.
"It gives us more motivation to bring a medal home so that the
TV stations will regret not buying the broadcast rights," Alven
said with a laugh.
Taekwnodoin Juana Wangsa Putri is also upset about the lack of
Olympic TV coverage.
"I think people in Indonesia will want to know what is going
on in Athens. It will be difficult without coverage from the
local TV stations," Juana said.
Padmawati, one of seven Indonesian weightlifters competing in
Athens, is eager to forget about the controversy and concentrate
on the competition.
"The most important thing for me is how to do my best and win
a medal in Athens, that is my main focus right now," Padma said.
The Olympic Games, to which Indonesia is sending 39 athletes,
will run from Aug. 13 to Aug. 29. About 220 nations will take
part in the world's biggest sporting spectacle. And according to
the ABU, Indonesia is the only nation sending athletes to the
Games that will not telecast the event.