RI eyes second best in SEAG standings<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The National Sports Council (KONI) acknowledged on Thursday
\nthat its athletes would be in a three-way contest for second
\nplace with Vietnam and host Philippines at the 23rd Southeast
\nAsia (SEA) Games in November.<\/p>\n
KONI head of development affairs Djoko Pramono said the
\ncountry's chance of winning the regional event over regional
\npowerhouse Thailand was slim due to poor sports development in
\nrecent years.<\/p>\n
\"Thailand will still be above other countries in the region
\nbecause it has a good sports program,\" he said. \"Therefore,
\nIndonesia will compete with defending champion Vietnam and the
\nPhilippines for second place.\"<\/p>\n
He added that Vietnam, which finished atop the medal standings
\nwhen it hosted the 2003 SEA Games, may not repeat this year
\nbecause many of its previous medals came in sports such as karate
\nand pencak silat which were dependent on judges' decisions.<\/p>\n
\"But Vietnam may not drop too far from the top position as
\ntheir athletes are good,\" Djoko said.<\/p>\n
In 2003, Indonesia won more than 200 medals, including golds,
\nto finished third behind Vietnam and Thailand.<\/p>\n
The host country would fight hard to do its best before a home
\ncrowd, he added, and could pose a serious threat for second
\nplace.<\/p>\n
When the Philippines last hosted the 1991 SEA Games, it
\nfinished second behind the champion Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Indonesia dominated the SEA Games in 1980s and early 1990s,
\nsurpassing Thailand. It last triumphed in the overall standings
\nin Jakarta in 1997.<\/p>\n
The region-wide economic crisis of the late 1990s has been
\nblamed for poor sports development here. Two sports hit hardest
\nduring the crisis -- athletics and swimming -- are also two in
\nwhich Indonesia traditionally excelled. They offer many medals at
\nthe SEA Games, including 88 in the Philippines.<\/p>\n
Djoko emphasized that only athletes with a chance of winning
\nmedals would be sent to compete.<\/p>\n
\"We will send some 500 athletes, after dropping athletes who
\ndid not perform well in training. So we hope all of those
\nathletes will win medals although some of them will compete in
\nteam events,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Seven members of the national athletics team were dropped from
\ntraining on Wednesday due to poor training results.<\/p>",
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