August 19, 2024
JAKARTA – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo handed over billions of rupiah in cash awards for winning athletes at the 2024 Olympics Games in Paris in a ceremony in Jakarta on Thursday.
The President symbolically awarded the bonuses to three medalists in Paris 2024, namely gold medal winners lifter Rizki Juniansyah and speed climber Veddriq Leonardo, as well as bronze medal winner Gregoria Mariska Tunjung.
“Such success has raised optimism and hope for other Indonesian athletes to keep competing to win better achievements in other international sporting events,” Jokowi said during the ceremony, according to a statement from the President’s office.
Rizki won the top prize in the men’s 73 kilogram weightlifting event, while Veddriq won gold in the men’s speed climbing category. Gregoria was the only shuttler, of nine athletes sent, to win a medal, with a bronze in the women’s singles badminton.
Both Rizki and Veddriq were awarded Rp 6 billion (US$382,252) from the government, while Gregoria won Rp 1.65 billion for winning a bronze medal.
Coaches of the gold-winning athletes were also given Rp 2.75 billion in cash prizes each, with Gregoria’s coach granted a Rp 675 million bonus.
Read also: Stronger, better: Indonesia brings home two golds from Paris Olympics
Each athlete competing in Paris 2024 was also given a Rp 250 million cash bonus.
“This bonus should motivate them to raise their achievements and make the nation proud on the international stage,” Jokowi said.
The athletes said that they appreciated the cash bonuses from the government, saying that they would do better to make sure they would qualify for the next Summer Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles, the United States.
“I hope Indonesian speed climbers can keep winning and make such proud achievements, while getting support from the people and the government,” Veddriq said.
Meanwhile, Rizki said that he would also focus on the upcoming National Games (PON) in North Sumatra, slated for Sept. 8 to 20. The Olympic medalist will compete in the weightlifting event for Banten.
Before Thursday’s ceremony at the State Palace, the athletes and coaches rode on an open-deck double decker bus in a procession to welcome back the Indonesian contingent after competing in Paris 2024. They rode from the Youth and Sports Ministry office in Senayan, South Jakarta, to the State Palace in Central Jakarta.
Paris 2024 was one of Indonesia’s best Olympic performances of all time, with athletes bringing home two gold medals and a bronze. Indonesia finished in 39th place in the Paris Games medal tally, better than the 51st ranking in Tokyo 2020.
Despite the achievements, observers have been urging the government to put more resources into sports outside the ever-popular badminton, especially reflecting on the badminton team’s lackluster performance in Paris 2024.