Jonatan Christie donates Asian Games bonus to fire victims
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian badminton player Jonatan Christie has donated his entire Rp1.5 billion (about US$82,800) government bonus for winning team gold at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games to help people affected by forest and land fires.
“When I saw the conditions facing our fellow Indonesians affected by forest and land fires, I felt I needed to do something,” Christie said on social media on Saturday.
Christie won gold as a member of Indonesia's men's badminton team at the 2026 Asian Games. The government awarded athletes Rp1.5 billion each for team-event gold medals.
After receiving the bonus, Christie said he spent time reflecting on his career and journey as an athlete.
He said he was grateful for his achievements and the bonus but recognized that many people were struggling, had suffered losses or needed help.
He therefore decided to donate his entire Asian Games bonus to support communities affected by forest and land fires in several parts of Indonesia.
He said the decision did not mean the bonus was insignificant to him. As a professional athlete, he must cover many competition expenses himself.
The money could have covered nearly a year of tournament travel expenses for him and his team, he said.
“It is certainly not a small amount for me. But given what our fellow Indonesians are going through, I believe they need it more right now,” he said.
He cited three reasons for donating, children suffering respiratory problems from wildfire smoke, wildlife that have lost their habitats and the need to restore damaged forests.
Christie said the donation could not address every consequence of the fires, but he hoped it would ease the burden on affected communities.
“I hope we can help sustain lives and restore hope,” he said.
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Translator: Aloysius L, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Primayanti
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