Lifters get bonuses for winning medals for RI

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Medalist duo: Lifters Triyatno (left) and Eko Yuli Irawan show placards carrying the sum they received on Tuesday from state railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia for their achievement at the 2012 Olympics. JP/Wendra Ajistyatama

Weightlifters Triyatno and Eko Yuli Irawan, the only Indonesian athletes to bring home medals from the London Games, have begun to cash in on their outstanding Olympic performance, earning cash bonuses by state railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) on Tuesday.

Triyatno, who won silver in weightlifting at the London Olympics, got Rp 500 million (US$53,000), while bronze medalist Eko and their coach Lukman were given Rp 250 million.

“I’m personally surprised with how much attention PT KAI has given us by giving us such a reward. We’re very thankful for their appreciation,” Lukman told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

When contacted by the Post, the company’s spokesman, Sugeng Priyono, refused to comment on the exact deadline for the disbursement of the funds, saying it depended on “banking procedures, which I cannot predict”.

Apart from the bonuses for the athletes and coach, the promotor also awarded Rp 500 million to the Indonesian Weightlifting, Bodybuilding and Powerlifting Association (PABBSI). The funds are expected to be earmarked for the country’s weightlifting development.

The award ceremony took place at PT KAI’s Gambir main station, led by State-Owned Enterprise Minister Dahlan Iskan who suggested the trains carry pictures of Triyatno and Eko. Such a move would help “all train passengers also feel proud of the athletes’ achievements at the Olympics”, he said during the ceremony as quoted by tempo.co.

More financial rewards await the pair, based on Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng’s promise to award gold medalists Rp 1 billion, silver medalists Rp 400 million and bronze medalists Rp 250 million each.

Eko and Triyatno were among six Indonesian weightlifters contending in the London Olympic Games and were the country’s only medalists out of the 22 athletes it sent to compete in eight sports.

Indonesia sent the bulk of its athletes to compete in badminton — two athletes competing in men’s singles, one in women’s singles, two in men’s doubles, two in women’s doubles and two in mixed doubles — but the squad failed to bring home any medals.

Meanwhile, Indonesia is set to send Ni Nengah Widi Asih, David Jacob, Agus Ngaimin, and Setiyo Budihartanto to the London Paralympics, which will be held from Aug. 29 to Sept. 9.

“Our target is to give our best so that we can present medals to Indonesia,” chef of the Indonesian mission, James Tangkudung, said on Tuesday as quoted by Antara news agency.

“Any medal would be great, be it silver or bronze, but we would be very grateful if we can get a gold,” he said, adding the any medal the athletes brought home would be the first for the Indonesian Paralympics team.

Swimmer Agus, who will compete in the men’s 100-meter backstroke, said he hoped to get a medal, adding that athletes from Russia, Canada and China would be his biggest contenders.

The Paralympics, which always follow the quadrennial Summer Olympics, will see 4,200 athletes from 150 countries compete.