Djoko back to manage SEA Games team<\/p>\n
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Djoko Pramono, who in the past led the Indonesian contingent to a
\nbig victory in the 1997 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, has been
\nhanded another challenge with his appointment on Friday as the
\ntraining chief for the 2003 Vietnam games preparations.<\/p>\n
Djoko's appointment was announced by Oyong Karmayuda, the
\nsecretary-general of the National Sports Council (KONI), during a
\nmedia conference following an earlier meeting of the council.<\/p>\n
KONI Chairman Agum Gumelar chaired the meeting, which was
\nattended by all of his staff.<\/p>\n
Djoko, whose is KONI's director of development, will be
\nassisted by a project manager whose name KONI has yet to
\nannounce.<\/p>\n
The 1997 games marked the last time Indonesia was able to
\ndominate Southeast Asia's biennial sporting showcase. The
\nfollowing two editions in Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia proved
\nto be disasters for Indonesia.<\/p>\n
In a bid to boost the nation's chances in Vietnam, Djoko has
\nalready stepped up the pace, saying he had met with officials
\nfrom 18 sports organizations so far.<\/p>\n
However, learning from KONI's failures over the last two
\ngames, the organization, according to Oyong, would head to
\nVietnam with no ambitions of recovering its former pre-eminent
\nposition, a policy of self-restraint that Djoko himself had
\nstressed during a recent informal meeting with the media.<\/p>\n
\"In today's meeting, KONI decided that for the next games
\nmedals are not everything. Without disregarding those having good
\nmedal prospects, we will concentrate on giving our young athletes
\nthe chance of participating in the event,\" Oyong said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia plans to compete in 26 sports in Vietnam. The
\ntraining workout will commence officially in the fourth week of
\nApril and will be split into two phases of three and four months
\nrespectively.<\/p>\n
Unlike the second phase, in which KONI will take
\nresponsibility for the workout, the first phase will be organized
\nby the respective sports organizations with KONI providing some
\nfinancial support.<\/p>\n
To finance the preparation of the athletes and their visit to
\nVietnam, KONI would propose a new budget to the Ministry of
\nFinance with the committee, according to Oyong, emphasizing a
\nrealistic figure this time around.<\/p>\n
The previous budget proposal, which amounted to Rp 200 billion
\n(US$22.2 million) and was submitted by the old board of KONI, was
\nrejected by the ministry.<\/p>\n
While the new proposal is still being calculated, Oyong said
\nthat other funding sources would be sought. \"As in the past, we
\nwill turn to the Bung Karno Sports Complex Management and Bank
\nMandiri,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Friday's meeting, according to Oyong, also resolved that KONI
\nwill work even harder to ensure the enactment of the sports bill
\ninto law.<\/p>\n
Two teams have been established, one to review the content of
\nthe bill and the other to lobby the government and the House of
\nRepresentatives.<\/p>",
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