KONI quiets fears about Indonesian taking part in Olympics<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) vice
\nchairman, Harsuki, told reporters on Monday there was no need to
\nbe afraid of sending a contingent to the 2000 Olympic Games in
\nSydney.<\/p>\n
Harsuki, who, with KONI secretary-general Rudolf S Warouw had
\njust returned from the chef de mission meeting in Sydney, was
\ncommenting on whether Indonesia should send a contingent to the
\nOlympics, due to the situation in East Timor.<\/p>\n
\"Sport should not involve politics. It is stated in the
\nOlympic charter that each country's National Olympic Committee
\n(NOC) must cooperate with the host country and not allow
\nracialism, politics and religious affairs in sports,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"So far, during our stay in Sydney, we did not see any trouble
\nwhich would affect the Indonesian contingent's security for next
\nyear's event. Despite the fact that some Australians have written
\nharsh words about Indonesia, the Australian police officers are
\ndoing a good job in protecting our diplomats,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Earlier, state minister of youth affairs and sports, Agung
\nLaksono, said that Indonesia had three options regarding the
\nOlympics. First, to ask for a security guarantee for the
\nIndonesian contingent from the Sydney Organizing Committee of the
\nOlympic Games (SOCOG). Second, to send only a small contingent
\nand third to skip the Olympics altogether due to security
\nproblems.<\/p>\n
Indonesia boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow due to lack of
\nmoney for the participants.<\/p>\n
\"This time, if we boycott the Olympics it will not be for
\nfinancial reasons. SOCOG will finance all the participants'
\ntransportation and accommodation fees,\" Harsuki said.<\/p>\n
Harsuki said that he and Warouw would report the results of
\nthe meeting to KONI chairman, Wismoyo Arismunandar, before
\nconsulting Agung over the next step to take for the Olympics.<\/p>\n
So far, only several athletes from tae kwon do, swimming,
\ndiving, track and field and badminton have qualified for the
\nquadrennial event.<\/p>\n
Harsuki estimates that, at the most, 50 athletes will compete
\nin the Olympics from Sept. 15 to Oct. 1 next year.<\/p>\n
Tennis<\/p>\n
Separately, the Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) deputy
\nsecretary-general, Benny Mailili, expressed disappointment at the
\nresult of the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) administrator
\nworkshop in Singapore last week.<\/p>\n
The workshop resolved that the Asian Championships in
\nKaohsiung, Chinese Taipei, in November would no longer serve as
\nthe qualifying round for the Olympics.<\/p>\n
\"We don't have any chance in qualifying for the Olympics
\nbecause the new rules say the Asian Championships will not serve
\nas a qualifier. We can only wait for a wild card, which is not
\neasy to get,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In the 1996 Olympics, Indonesia was represented by Yayuk
\nBasuki, who was ranked in the world top 30, and by Yayuk and
\nRomana Tedjakusuma in the doubles. Romana and Yayuk qualified for
\nthe Olympics after winning the Asian Championships.<\/p>\n
\"The new system is unfair. But I hope our athletes can perform
\nwell in the championships. If any of them can win, who knows they
\nmay well receive a wild card,\" Benny said.<\/p>\n
Benny named Japan, China, Chinese Taipei, South Korea and
\nThailand as the only Asian countries whose players would be able
\nto qualify for the Olympics. (yan)<\/p>",
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