Indonesia lowers medal target for SEA Games

Flanked by ministry officials and the Philippines’ Southeast Asian Games chef de mission Harry Warganegara (left), Malaysia Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali (center) speaks at a presser Thursday, explaining that the government lowered the medal target for the upcoming SEA Games in the Philippines. (www.kemenpora.go.id/Satria)

Although the members of the Indonesian contingent are ready to improve their overall performances at the upcoming 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines, the medal target was lowered due to the possibility of on-field margins of errors.

Indonesia’s Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali, though, did not explain what the margins of error were.

Indonesia finished fifth at the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games with 38 gold medals.

“We earlier targeted more than 50 gold medals but then we were advised to lower the target to 45 golds at the upcoming event. I hope our junior athletes can make a statement later on,” he said at a press conference Thursday.

When asked about targeting first place, Zainudin said he could not predict the future but promised that all athletes would go all out in fighting for wins.

Indonesia is slated to send 1,297 people, 837 of whom are athletes. Of the athletes, 60 percent are junior athletes and another 40 percent are veterans. The government has long pledged to make the SEA Games a stage for junior athletes to develop and gain international experience.

Zainudin said the government had earmarked Rp 8 billion (U$ 567,839) in cash rewards for all medal-winning athletes.

“We have provided cash rewards for all athletes,” he said.

For the 2018 Asian Games, Indonesian athletes’ cash rewards were divided into three categories: individual, doubles and group. The government granted Rp 1.5 billion for athletes who won gold in the individual category, Rp 500 million for silver and Rp 250 million for bronze.

In doubles, gold winners were rewarded with Rp 1 billion, while silver medalists received Rp 400 million and bronze medalists Rp 200 million.

Lastly, the group category saw gold medalists win Rp 750 million, silver medalists receive Rp 300 million and bronze medalists receive Rp 150 million. All cash rewards were no subject to taxes.