Website, tolong pakai yang ini<\/p>\n
Gold rush set to begin in Manila<\/p>\n
Musthofid
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Manila<\/p>\n
Amid a final push to complete competition venues and
\nheightened security, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
\nis set to open the 23rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The ceremony for the 10-day Games is scheduled to begin at
\n5:30 p.m. local time at Quirino Grandstand in Luneta Park. The 11
\nparticipating teams from the Association of Southeast Asian
\nNations plus Timor Leste will march in alphabetical order, with
\nIndonesia following Brunei Darussalam and Cambodia.<\/p>\n
Kusnan Ismukanto, Indonesia's sporting chief designated to
\nsupervise the athletes competing in Metro Manila, said that about
\n100 athletes from the 779-strong contingent would participate.<\/p>\n
\"We invited all the athletes to come along but it shouldn't be
\nallowed to interfere with their training,\" Djoko said.<\/p>\n
Hendrawan, coach of the women's badminton team and a former
\nworld men's singles champion, will be the flag bearer. He was a
\nlast-minute replacement for Olympic and World champion shuttler
\nTaufik Hidayat, who declined the honor.<\/p>\n
\"Badminton manager Jacob Rusdianto refused to allow Taufik to
\njoin because he will have to train,\" chef de mission Djoko
\nPramono said.<\/p>\n
Members of the region's royal houses and leaders of the Moro
\nIslamic Liberation Front are expected to attend the opening
\nceremony, Agence France-Presse reported. Among the royals are
\nPrince Norodom Ranariddh of Cambodia; Brunei Prince Sufri
\nBolkiah, and Thai Princess Sievannarvari Nariratana as well as
\nPrince Maha Vajiralongkorn.<\/p>\n
Manila's already chaotic traffic was made worse on Saturday
\nwhen police closed roads around the grandstand to secure the
\narea. More than 17,000 police and security forces went on alert
\nin Manila last week, with officials concerned over recent deadly
\nattacks by the communist New People's Army rebels in central and
\nnorthern Philippines.<\/p>\n
Although water polo and soccer have been in competition since
\nlast week, with Singapore retaining its gold in the pool on
\nFriday, Sunday's opening day will offer 15 golds.<\/p>\n
Track and field events held at Rizal Memorial Stadium will
\nhave three golds up for grabs, but no Indonesian athletes are
\ncompeting in the long jump, high jump and pole vault.<\/p>\n
Muhammad Juniarto and Muhamad Zulkifli are the Indonesian
\nhopefuls in the 15-ball doubles, although they concede it will be
\na struggle to take the top honor.<\/p>\n
\"Well, their chance is 50-50. We'll have to compete against
\nSingapore and Malaysia in the group matches. And then either
\nThailand or the Philippines would be the next ones to beat,\" team
\nmanager Ariebinuko Tjiptoadjodjojo told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Other golds are being offered in dancesport (2), chess (2)
\ndiving (3) and karate (4).<\/p>\n
Indonesia has not won the overall medal title at the Games
\nsince 1997, finishing third at the 2003 Games in Vietnam behind
\nthe host and Thailand, which is heavily favored this time around.<\/p>\n
Djoko said on Saturday all the athletes were expected to do
\ntheir utmost to help the country's medal haul.<\/p>\n
\"We have instructed managers and athletes to give their best
\neffort for the sake of the country,\" Djoko said during his tour
\nof the Rizal Memorial Complex, where he watched the Indonesian
\nwomen's tennis team reach the final.<\/p>",
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