SEAG medalists to get bonuses in form of insurance
SEAG medalists to get bonuses in form of insurance
JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) will award Rp 25 million (US$ 11,300) in the form of a five-year insurance policy to each Indonesian athlete that wins a gold medal at the 18th Southeast Asian Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
The recipients may take Rp 5 million every year, along with the interest. If they die before the five-year period ends, their families or parents will take all the money, Aribinuko Tjiptoadhidjojo, a KONI senior official, told The Jakarta Post yesterday.
He said the award is intended to motivate Indonesia's athletes to do their best at the Dec. 9-17 games.
KONI has named the Tugu Pratama insurance company to disburse the bonuses.
Wismoyo said that the bonuses were a token of appreciation and not a carrot and stick technique.
The award is also meant to show that it can pay to become an athlete, and that being an athlete is by no means an inferior occupation, Aribinuko said.
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Hayono Isman, supports the idea of awarding athletes with insurance and even suggested that the move be made official in the form of a decree.
Aribinuko was detailing what KONI chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar said last Friday. Wismoyo promised a Rp 25 million cash bonus to an individual event gold medalist or a team event gold medal winner. He gave no information as to the amount of money to be given to silver and bronze medalists.
Aribinuko said that silver and bronze medalists might be entitled to Rp 15 million and Rp 10 million respectively, also through the same approach.
For those who win gold medals at the Asian Games or the Olympic Games, the award could amount to Rp 250 million and Rp 1 billion respectively, he said, adding that the amounts were still being discussed.
However, when Togi Hutagaol, KONI's planning and budgeting director, and Arie Sudewo, one of Wismoyo's deputies, were asked to confirm the amounts, both said that KONI had not made any final decisions.
"This is still in the preliminary stages. We're still discussing it," said Arie. No agreement has been made between KONI and Tugu Pratama, which is controlled by timber tycoon Mohammad Hasan.
Meanwhile, the national team, fresh from its riotous 2-0 win over PSIS Semarang, is on the prowl for its final SEA Games warm- up against the EA Mangindaan All Stars of Manado, North Sulawesi.
The Manado side is heavily fortified by import booters Cameroon legend Roger Milla, Maboang Kesaack, Miodrag Glusevic, Accardi and Brazilian Carlos de Mello.
The friendly will be held tomorrow, the 85th birthday of EA Mangindaan, the founder of the All Indonesia Soccer Federation. (arf)