Olympic gold medalist promised Rp 1 billion

Olympic gold medalist promised Rp 1 billion

Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta

Indonesia's Olympic hopefuls have been promised a windfall of
bonuses if they can win a medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens
next August.

The National Sports Council (KONI) has promised a cash bonus
of Rp 1 billion (US$117,647) for a gold medalist, Rp 500 million
for a silver and Rp 300 million for a bronze.

KONI's secretary-general Djohar Arifin said Indonesia's
Olympic commitment would need funds totaling Rp 26 billion.

"We have collected Rp 10 billion, we're trying hard to get the
rest in sponsorship," he said here on Thursday.

Indonesia has confirmed 36 qualifiers in 12 sports for the
world's biggest sporting spectacle. More are expected to follow
when qualifications wrap up.

While badminton is expected to maintain its golden run, Djohar
said that hopes for medals would also rest on other sports like
tae kwon do.

Juana Wangsa Putri, who put in an impressive performance
during the qualifying competition in Paris, is expected to carry
on her form in Athens, so is her male fellow Satrio Rahadani, who
grabbed a silver medal at the Asian Championship in Bangkok,
Thailand, in the same year.

Badminton contributes the largest number to the team with 14
players.

Other qualifiers are seven weight lifters, three swimmers, two
archers, two track-and-field athletes and one athlete each from
sailing, shooting, boxing, rowing, judo and tennis.

Chief de mission of the Indonesian Olympic Games team Indra
Kartasasmita said that Indonesia had the chance to add another
archer to the list on the "continental standby" rule from the
International Archery Federation.

The rule allows each continent to add one more archer to its
number of qualifiers.

"We hope that we can send Kuswantoro to the Olympic Games. We
will find out whether or not he will be going by June 21st," he
said.

If through, Kuswantoro would join Rina Dewi Puspitasari and
Loconecko. Rina, along with Permadi Sandra, got her Olympic
ticket at last year's Asian Championships in Myanmar.

Permadi had to give way for Loconecko, who was considered to
have been performing well in the run-up to the Olympics.

Indra hoped that cycling and beach volleyball would also be
able to send their athletes to the Games.

Uyun Muzizah is Indonesia's cycling hopeful. She is currently
competing at the world championships in Melbourne, Australia.

Indonesia's athletes are scheduled to undergo intensive
training from July 1.

Indonesia won a gold, three silver and two bronze medals at
the 2002 Olympic Games in Sydney. The only gold was won from the
badminton competition, courtesy of Candra Wijaya and Tony Gunawan
in the men's doubles event.