Athletes cut back for 20th SEA Games<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The first cuts to athletics' teams participating
\nat the national training program for the 20th Southeast Asian
\n(SEA) Games were announced on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Director of training Imron Z.S. said 33 players had not been
\nable to meet the training requirements. Sepak takraw and squash
\nplayers were among the athletes.<\/p>\n
Some 20 sports bodies fielding athletes in the biennial event
\nhave started to cut back their squads from the original total
\nnumber of 549 participating athletes. Indonesia plans to send 448
\nathletes to the Games, which takes place in Brunei Darussalam
\nfrom Aug. 7 to Aug. 15.<\/p>\n
Imron expected the 20 sports bodies to submit final lists of
\ncompeting athletes, at the latest, by the end of this month.<\/p>\n
"The deadline is the end of June, because I have to send entry
\nforms with names to the Games organizer at the latest by July 3,"
\nhe said after a meeting with four supervisors of the national
\ntraining programs.<\/p>\n
National Sports Council (KONI) chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar
\nis scheduled to inaugurate the centralized training program on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
Imron said despite financial difficulties to implement the
\ntraining program, athletes still demonstrated high motivation to
\nwin as many medals as possible in the Games.<\/p>\n
KONI is still waiting for the National Planning and
\nDevelopment Board (Bappenas) and the Gelora Senayan Management
\nBoard to disburse their donation of Rp 5.5 billion (US$675,000)
\nand Rp 4.5 billion respectively.<\/p>\n
Imron said KONI had to pay for training program expenses of Rp
\n500 million, before it received the money from both donators.<\/p>\n
"We won't use the Rp 5.5 billion budget to buy sports
\nequipment. But since some potential gold medalists need new
\nequipment, we reconsidered our decision."<\/p>\n
Imron said men's pole vaulter Nunung Jayadi was one of the
\nrecipients of the new equipment. The Indonesian Amateur Athletics
\nAssociation (PASI) had requested KONI buy a new fiber pole
\ncosting approximately $2,000.<\/p>\n
"PASI has ensured me that Nunung can improve his personal best
\nto 5.20 meters," he said. (ivy)<\/p>",
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