Indonesian weightlifters, the only athletes from the nation to take home medals during the 2012 Olympic Games in London, received cash bonuses Thursday from the Youth and Sports Ministry.
Triyatno won a silver medal and received around $42,280, and Eko Yuli Irawan, who got the bronze, received half that for his medal, the Jakarta Post reported.
“The total Rp 1 billion ($105,596.62) for bonuses, which was allocated by the government, is still in our keeping as no athlete got a gold medal in the games,” Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng was quoted as saying.
Indonesia, which has a population of 237 million, endured a setback during the 2012 Olympics, winning only two medals, Mallarangeng conceded. It was the worst showing for the country in the sporting event in 20 years.
Part of the reason Indonesia’s medal count fell was that it did poorly in badminton. The women’s doubles team was disqualified after trying to lose in a match to secure an easier second-round opponent—like other women’s teams from China and South Korea who partook in the scandal that drew international headlines.
In the 2008 Olympics, the Indonesian men’s doubles team won the gold.
Andi said, “From now on, we must not focus on only one sport; we have to maximize all [the sporting talent] that we have.”
Indonesia sent athletes to the London Games in six different sports, but was relying on badminton for winning gold medals.
