Top athletes deserve life security: Rudy Hartono
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)