Tycoons pledge help for national sports

Tycoons pledge help for national sports

JAKARTA (JP): None of the 50 prominent businessmen having dinner with Wismoyo Arismunandar, the new chairman of the National Sports Council (KONI), on Monday said "No" to his request for financial aid.

However, the country's most prominent businessmen, led by tycoon Sudwikatmono, have not committed to donating cash. Instead, they have pledged to turn any sporting events into business dealings or act as sponsors.

There were 80 businessmen invited, but not all of them came in person; some sent their representatives instead.

However, some uninvited but perhaps much wanted guests showed up at the dinner. Strangely, they included Soedono Salim, the chairman of the Salim Group, who ranked second on the list of the 200 largest individual taxpayers in 1993 announced last month.

Soedono came because paper baron Eka Tjipta Widjaja asked him to come along, according to Republika.

Sudwikatmono, who is also President Soeharto's cousin, was quoted by Kompas as saying "our commitments to help KONI is a token of our gratitude to the government which has maintained socio-political stability and security so that we can conduct our businesses undisturbed."

Wismoyo, a former Army Chief of Staff, said he was very happy to hear the pledge and promised to account for every cent they spend.

Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman welcomes KONI's move but said that now it was no longer proper for the sports body to ask again for money from tycoons.

"Even those asking have already tired of being asking. Thus, if they continue asking, this will only make those asked feel increasingly uncomfortable," he added. (arf)