Scholarships offered to athletes

PURWOKERTO, Central Java (JP): The state Jenderal Soedirman University here is offering scholarships to 25 athletes across the country in the next academic year.

The university's rector, Rubiyanto Misman, said yesterday the awards were aimed at boosting not only the athletes' performances but also those of local talents.

He said the university would also allow the athletes to skip classes or exams when they were in competition. "They can sit the school tests after the competitions," Rubiyanto said.

The university will require the athletes to improve their performances in return for the scholarships, according to Rubiyanto.

Applicants with national-level achievements will be exempt from admission tests while those below that level must pass the tests to get the scholarships.

Rubiyanto said the university had raised more than Rp 2.6 billion (US$330,000) to build a stadium where the athletes could train and compete. (45)