PON still needed to recruit Asiad, Olympic athletes<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) officials
\nsaid they still consider the National Games (PON) necessary for
\nrecruiting young athletes to join the national team, but
\nregulations and sport categorizations needed to be improved.<\/p>\n
The KONI official in charge of athletes development, Muhammad
\nHindarto, told reporters on Thursday that the council must
\nprioritize sports which are featured in the Asian Games and the
\nOlympics to further athletes' goals in the international
\nmultisport events.<\/p>\n
\"PON is meant to recruit young athletes to join the national
\nteam. They are expected to represent the country in the Olympics
\nin the future. For that purpose, PON sport events must be based
\non the sports featured at the Asiad and Olympic Games,\" he said
\nduring a lunch break at the KONI members annual meeting.<\/p>\n
Hindarto emphasized that some sport events featured at PON
\nwould not be at international multisport events.<\/p>\n
\"At PON we have a motorcycle road race and roller skating as
\nexhibition events. We cannot turn down their request to stage the
\nevent because those sport organizations are members of KONI.\"<\/p>\n
Hindarto said KONI must improve its statute at its plenary
\nnational congress in the year 2003.<\/p>\n
\"The new statute may regulate that only sports featured at
\nAsiad and Olympics will be staged at PON. Other sports, which are
\nstill admitted as KONI members, are allowed to stage their annual
\nnational championships.\"<\/p>\n
Earlier, KONI vice chairman, Arie Sudewo, also shared the same
\nopinion that Indonesia still needed to have a national games
\nevent as the recruitment process for the higher level of
\nmultisport events.<\/p>\n
\"For next year's Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur,
\nwe will recruit our athletes from this year's Olympic team and
\nPON winners,\" said Arie, who is also the executive training
\ndirector for Indonesia's contingent at the Olympics and the SEA
\nGames.<\/p>\n
\"KONI expects sport organizations to carefully observe young
\npotential athletes in PON as they will be groomed in a long-term
\ntraining program for the SEA Games.\"<\/p>\n
Arie gave a thumbs down to criticism from Ismangun
\nNotosapoetro, a member of the House of Representatives Commission
\nVI on Religion and Human Resources.<\/p>\n
Ismangun said PON was no longer effective in developing
\nathletes as many provinces preferred to trade athletes among one
\nanother. He also said this disabled KONI from seeking young
\ntalent because provinces preferred to field their international-
\nclass athletes to take as many gold medals as possible.<\/p>\n
\"I think the idea to dismiss PON is based on only one person's
\nidea. PON has been held every four years since 1958. We can't
\ncancel it just because of someone's suggestion,\" Arie said.<\/p>\n
\"I think PON is still necessary to make KONI's provincial
\nchapters and sports organizations responsible in their duties to
\ngroom young athletes in their respective areas.\"<\/p>\n
\"If we really want to make PON as a talent scouting arena, we
\nmust improve the system. We must modify the regulations on
\nathlete transfers and it will be discussed in KONI's annual
\ncongress next week.\"<\/p>\n
KONI will stage a two-day congress at Hotel Mulia Senayan on
\nFeb. 15 and Feb. 16 and will officially set up the Olympic
\ncontingent.<\/p>\n
Arie said in the meantime, PON would remain a quadrennial
\nevent.<\/p>\n
\"Many chapters have urged us to stage PON every two years.
\nIt's really difficult to arrange an annual calendar for so many
\nsport events based on their national or international
\ntournaments. We are still working on it,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"However, KONI has decided that the next PON will be staged
\nfour years after the one in Surabaya in June.\"<\/p>\n
Four provinces -- North Sumatra, South Sumatra, West Java and
\nCentral Java -- have submitted proposals to host the event. (yan)<\/p>",
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