The government is allocating Rp1 billion for each athlete winning a gold medal, Rp400 million for a silver and Rp200 million for a bronzeJakarta (ANTARA News)- The government will provide Rp1 billion in bonus to each of its athletes who win a gold medal in Olympic Games 2012 to be held in London, beginning later this month, a minister said.
"The government is allocating Rp1 billion for each athlete winning a gold medal, Rp400 million for a silver and Rp200 million for a bronze," said Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Andi Mallarangeng after seeing off the Indonesian contingent at the state palace here on Monday.
The minister said it was traditional to give bonuses to athletes who were able to bring fame and make the nation proud at the international arena.
In line with this move, the government has set aside a fund of Rp26.6 billion to support the Indonesian contingent in the Olympic Games.
Andi explained that Indonesia had the potential to win gold in a number of sports such as weightlifting, badminton and archery.
He said that the Indonesian contingent had set a target of winning at least one gold medal in the Olympic Games, which would be held in London from July 27 to August 12, 2012.
The Indonesian contingent is composed of 21 athletes of seven sports branches.
The number of Indonesian athletes in the London Olympic Games is smaller than the one the country had sent to the previous Olympic Games held in Beijing, China in 2008.
At that time, Indonesia sent a contingent of 24 athletes and won one gold, one silver and three bronzes.
(A014)
Editor: Ella Syafputri
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
