Jakarta needs more public sports facilities<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Instead of converting the Menteng soccer field into a park, the
\ncity administration should build more public sporting facilities
\nas existing stadiums and sports centers were inadequate to serve
\nthe growing population in the capital, experts say.<\/p>\n
The city, home to around nine million people, has only five
\nbig stadiums, most of them found in East and South Jakarta, in
\naddition to one sports center in each of its 45 subdistricts.<\/p>\n
\"It is inadequate to serve its residents. Cities like Bangkok
\nand Manila, which have similar characteristics with Jakarta, have
\nmore sports facilities than this city, which not only pleases
\ntheir residents but also boosts the country's sports
\nachievements,\" said urban sociologist Gumilar Somantri Rusliwa
\nSomantri.<\/p>\n
The city administration has decided to turn the Menteng Soccer
\nField in Central Jakarta into a city park complete with jogging
\ntracks and cafes, but noted public figures and experts have
\nopposed the move, suspecting that it was merely a disguise
\nattempt to convert the historical site into a business complex.<\/p>\n
The conversion decision was taken despite the fact that the
\ncity severely lacks open public sports centers. Furthermore, the
\nfew existing sports centers are not adequately equipped with
\nsport facilities.<\/p>\n
The Kembangan sports center in West Jakarta, for example,
\nprovides only three badminton fields that attract only around
\n60 people in a month.<\/p>\n
\"A lot of people have asked for basketball and volley ball
\ncourts, and I submitted the request to the Sports Agency at the
\nJakarta administration last year. But, I haven't have any answer
\nyet,\" said Sabur Mandala, the manager of the sports center.<\/p>\n
Sabur told The Jakarta Post that with an average of Rp 1
\nmillion to Rp 2 million monthly maintenance budget given by the
\nadministration, he could do nothing to improve facilities in the
\nbuilding.<\/p>\n
He also said that nothing could be done to attract people to
\ncome and opening cafes or shops was not considered unprofitable.<\/p>\n
\"It is too far from anywhere; who'd want to do their shopping
\nor eat here?,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In the end, the facility is often used as a meeting hall to
\nfacilitate events held by Kembangan district officials.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, the East Jakarta stadium succeeds in
\nattracting people because it offers a swimming pool, a basketball
\ncourt, a volleyball court, an auditorium, and even a modeling
\nagency and dancing lessons.<\/p>\n
Residents around the East Jakarta Stadium on Jl. Otto Iskandar
\nDinata said that the stadium plays an important role because it
\nnot only providing facilities for exercise but is also a place
\nwhere youngsters can develop their creativity.<\/p>\n
Last Friday morning, for example, hundreds of elementary
\nstudents thronged the swimming pool while dozens of junior high
\nschool students were preparing themselves for a traditional
\npencak silat martial arts competition held in the indoor basket
\nball court.<\/p>\n
\"Aside from swimming and volley ball, my daughter also took
\nJavanese dance and pencak silat courses at the stadium. We need
\nmore of these kinds of facilities so that other residents can use
\nthem,\" said Mrs. Lina, whose house is only 100 meters from the
\nstadium.<\/p>\n
Data from the city administration's website, www.dki.go.id,
\nsuggests that until 2000, the city only had one facility for
\nathletic, baseball, shooting, and hockey. (006)<\/p>",
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