"Thanks to the 123 athletes who had competed at the SEA Games in Vietnam," Hartono said at the Central Jakarta City Hall on Wednesday.
He advised the athletes to not be complacent about their achievements.
"Congratulations to the winners. Make this a motivation to strengthen your capacity as an athlete. Hopefully, this can inspire others," he said.
He also symbolically handed over bonuses to athletes who had made Indonesia proud in the international arena.
Appreciation was also given to coaches who guided and assisted the athletes to achieve their best results.
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"Thank you to the coaches and officials who struggled in guiding our athletes who make the nation proud in the international arena," he said.
He added that it was not easy to train the athletes for last year’s competition because of COVID-19 restrictions.
The Jakarta provincial government allocated the bonuses for outstanding athletes through the 2023 regional budget (APBD).
"We allocated this year's budget for the amazing athletes. Hopefully, this can motivate them to train harder and gain achievement again," the acting governor remarked.
The 31st SEA Games were held in 2022 in Hanoi, Vietnam. Indonesia had sent 499 athletes, 123 or 24 percent of whom were from Jakarta.
Indonesia won 69 gold, 91 silver, and 81 bronze medals at the event. Of the gold medals, 45 percent of the total were contributed by athletes from Jakarta, which made the province the largest contributor to national sports achievements.
The highest bonus of Rp200 million (US$13,623) was given to individuals and doubles players who won gold medals.
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EDITED BY INE
Translator: Siti N, Kenzu
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
