RI athletes only receive portion of IOC scholarships

JAKARTA (JP): Four Indonesian athletes who have been selected as recipients of an International Olympic Committee (IOC) scholarship worth US$1,200 per month will only receive a small portion of the amount.

A National Sports Council (KONI) official in charge of educational affairs, Aribinuko Tjiptoadhidjojo, said on Monday that each athlete's share in the form of an allowance was just part of eight items covered in the scholarship awarded under the Olympic Solidarity Program.

Apart from the pocket money, the IOC will also pay training expenses, coaches salaries, medication, expert team consultation expenses (in psychology, nutrition and coaching), medical insurance, board and lodging and administration fees.

Three badminton players -- men's doubles specialist Candra Wijaya, women's doubles player Deyana Lomban and men's singles Taufik Hidayat -- and female lifter Sri Indriyani were named the scholarship recipients.

KONI had originally recommended another badminton doubles player, Sigit Budiarto, but he did not sign his approval to join the IOC-sponsored program after he was informed that he had failed a dope test at the Singapore Open which he won with Candra in August last year. Candra and Sigit also won the 1997 World Championship.

Sigit is serving a one-year ban imposed by the International Badminton Federation. The ban lasts until September.

The scholarship winners should have received their money since September last year. It has drawn complaints from some of them, not to mention the information that they would only receive $300 out of the total.

"We want a clear explanation of this matter," said Taufik, Indonesia's rising star who is expected to win the gold medal in the 2004 Olympics.

He said the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) also cut a player's scholarship, but the policy was fair.

"It's OK with me, because the PBSI has provided all my needs. But what about KONI? As scholarship recipients we don't get any special attention from them," said Taufik.

"If that's our right, please give it to us. Why should they keep it? If there's a problem, please talk to us. But if we only receive $300, it's not equivalent to our huge responsibility to qualify for the 2000 Olympics," added Candra.

Aribinuko denied that KONI intentionally delayed the disbursement of the scholarships. He said the council would give the money to the four athletes after finishing all paper work.

"Everybody will receive an equal amount at the same time as soon as possible," he said, adding that the athletes would receive their respective allowances all at the same time.

"The money is ready for disbursement, but we are waiting for details from the PBSI to revise estimated expenses they spend on their athletes."

He said that in its original calculation, the PBSI reported that it needed $2,750 per athlete per month. "We can't fulfill this demand because the amount is far bigger that the IOC commitment," Aribinuko said.

Aribinuko said the council would ask for an extension of the program next year. "Who knows, the IOC will award more scholarships," he said.

PBSI's deputy chief of athletes development, Hadi Nazri, said the association would not give special treatment to the scholarships recipients.

"PBSI won't treat them differently from the others just because they won the scholarships. Everybody will undergo the same training program," he said. (yan)