YLKI: Cigarette Companies Exploit Young Athlete Programs

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) criticized a badminton athletes audition that is being sponsored by a cigarette brand. The YLKI considers that the cigarette company sponsorship has exploited children through its advertisement attached to the athlete’s uniform.

“They [the athletes] are children and teenagers, wearing t-shirts with a cigarette product logo which gets advertised via various print media and televisions,” said YLKI executive director Tulus Abadi via a text message on Monday, September 25.

Read: Tobacco Industry Targets Regions Following Ads Bans in Jakarta

Tulus said that exhibiting a cigarette product logo is clearly an advertisement. The cigarette company has also shaped the badminton scholarship program into a symbol of cigarette advertisement among young generations.

“The audition that is meant to attract and train badminton athletes are nothing more than an exploitation attempt to introduce cigarette products among young generations,” Tulus added.

As many as 704 participants from numerous regions in Indonesia took part in the audition, which will select 29 students as scholarship recipients.

Tulus deplored that athletic training programs in Indonesia are sponsored by the cigarette industry, although other international associations such as FIFA and the International Badminton Federation (IBF) have banned the cigarette industry to do such a thing.

ANTARA