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.