SEA Games medalists awarded
SEA Games medalists awarded
JAKARTA (JP): A total of Rp 348 million (US$ 150,259) in cash
was given yesterday to 51 Jakartan athletes and 28 coaches who
won medals in the 18th Southeast Asian Games in Thailand last
December.
The cash followed bonuses from the National Sports Council
early this month, increasing the earnings of Jakartan athletes.
The city administration provided two-thirds of yesterday's
bonus, the Jakarta provincial sports governing body provided the
rest.
Individual medalists as well as members of medal winning teams
were entitled to the cash. Each individual gold medalist received
Rp 6 million, a silver medalist Rp 3 million, and a bronze
medalist Rp 2.25 million. Coaches got the same bonus as their
winning athletes.
Each member of a gold medal winning team received Rp 4.5
million. The amount was Rp 2.25 million for silver and Rp 1.5
million for bronze.
The sports council previously awarded Rp 25 million in the
form of a five-year insurance policy to each individual gold
medalist, and Rp 2 million and Rp 1 million in cash to each
individual silver and bronze medalist.
As for coaches, KONI awarded Rp 5 million in cash only to
those whose athletes won gold medals.
Almost all of SEA Games participating countries gave cash
incentives to their winning athletes.
Malaysia gave an individual gold medalist 5,000 ringgit, or
about $2,000. Team members also won a large cash reward. Even a
country that was less likely to win medals, like Cambodia,
offered much higher rewards up to $10,000 for individual gold
medalists and $30,000 for a winning team.
Jakarta Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said yesterday that the
bonuses should be regarded as a token of appreciation from the
city administration.
"We never dangle money in front of our athletes just to
motivate them to win medals," Surjadi insisted. He then used the
occasion to urge the athletes to do their best to help Jakarta
defend its title at the 14th National Games in September.
Surjadi's reasoning on the bonuses is shared by all
Indonesia's sports leaders. Their rationale is that it is fine to
reward athletes with money after a competition, but it is
improper to promise them money before hand. (arf)