Ministry opens 1,500 civil servant vacancies for athletes, coaches

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 11/14/2009 11:43 AM

State Ministry for Sports and Youth Affairs has open around 1,500 vacancies in regional offices across the archipelago for athletes and coaches.

“The main qualification is a gold medal winner in a National Games,” Wafid Muharram, secretary of the ministry, said Saturday as quoted by kompas.com.

The maximum ages to apply for the vacancies are 35 years old for athletes and 40 for coaches, much more lenient that standard civil servant qualification, he said.

Last year, the ministry opened around 800 vacancies in the same program, but only have of them were filled.

The Indonesian Sport Council (KONI) has been working to provide post-playing career employment options for athletes.

Many notable athletes, especially in the past when prize winnings were small and sponsorship was rare, have faced a difficult life when they retired.