January 8, 2026 | 09:19 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto pledged to raise the bonus for winning athletes in the upcoming Asian Games. This came after he awarded medal-winning athletes at the 2025 SEA Games with Rp1 billion bonuses.
Prabowo said the bonus this year has already been raised from Rp500 million at the previous SEA Games. "What about the Asian Games' gold medalists? Indeed, we'll raise [the bonus]," Prabowo said at the Award Ceremony for the 33rd SEA Games on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at the Palace.
Nevertheless, Prabowo stopped short of detailing how much the bonus will be raised in the upcoming Asian Games, as he would need to cross-check them with the country's financial abilities.
Prabowo hopes that the medal-winning athletes in the SEA Games can prepare themselves well for the Asian Games in Japan later this year. He wants the athletes to continue to excel in the games after clinching 91 gold medals at the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand.
During the same occasion, Prabowo said the sports achievements reflect the strength of the nation, adding that weak countries cannot achieve success in sports. "Weak sports, losing athletes, reflect the nation's weakness," he said.
Prabowo mentioned that athletes serve an important role as the country's representatives. Therefore, he expressed his gratitude to the Indonesian contingent who won medals in Thailand at last year's SEA Games. "As the head of state, head of government, and personally, I express my gratitude to all of you for your success in upholding the honor of the Indonesian nation," said the Chair of the Gerindra Party.
Prabowo also extended appreciation to the athletes who did not win medals at the SEA Games. "I think that's normal, don't be disheartened. The important thing is that you have fought as hard as you can, and the issue now is how you can improve your performance in the future," Prabowo said.
The Award Ceremony of the 33rd SEA Games at the State Palace was attended by heads of sports associations and the medal-winning contingent. The Minister of Youth and Sports, Erick Thohir, stated that the bonuses had been transferred to each medalist.
"We, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, directly transferred all the bonuses to each athlete and coach through Bank BRI," Erick said in his speech.
Erick mentioned that the medal count at this SEA Games exceeded the initial target of 80 gold medals. He stated that the Indonesian contingent surpassed that goal with 91 gold, 111 silver, and 131 bronze medals.
Read: Indonesia Grants Rp1bn Bonus to SEA Games Gold Medalists
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