Top athletes deserve life security: Rudy Hartono

JAKARTA (JP): Top national athletes, who stop competing, deserve security apart from the tokens they received for their past performances, Indonesian badminton's living legend Rudy Hartono says.

"It's time to introduce retirement insurance for top athletes in amounts commensurate to their remarkable performances," Rudy, whose eight All-England victories are included in the popular Guiness Book of Records. He was attending the signing of injury and life insurance agreements for players and officials of the World Cup badminton championships with the Eka Life insurance company here yesterday.

Insurance is usual in Indonesian sports, but is restricted to insurance for athletes who suffer injuries or die during competitions.

Rudy said that in case of injury athletes will receive the insurance payments over a certain period of time.

Another badminton figure, Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar, suggested two years ago that retirement insurance, which is common in South Korea, should be provided for distinguished athletes. Siregar's suggestion was viewed as implicit criticism of the habit off granting cash bonuses to successful athletes after a big sporting event.

The National Sports Council (KONI) plans to provide retirement insurance worth Rp 1 billion (US$454,500) for each Indonesian athlete who wins a gold medal in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. The funds will be disbursed over a period of 10 years, starting from 2001.

KONI has accepted bids for the program from five of the nation's largest insurance companies. "We expect to name the official insurance company early next month," Ishadi, KONI's spokesman, said yesterday.

"The insurance serves only as an incentive. Our athletes will thus be able to focus on their careers without having to think hard about their lives in the future," Rudy said.

"We have to prevent recurrence of the situation of past champions who have suffered economic burdens," he added.

A number of former top Indonesian professional boxers are working as parking attendants or security guards to support their families.

Organizers of the World Cup badminton tournament, scheduled to be held here from Sept. 13 to Sept. 17, have received a life insurance commitment of Rp 40 billion ($18.180 million) for all shuttlers and officials who will take part in the invitational tournament.

G. Sulistyanto, president director of Eka Life insurance company, said that he also offered a life insurance program for the national team for the 18th Southeast Asian Games.

Ishadi said KONI is studying the proposal. (amd)