Rp 4 billion more needed for SEA Games<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's team for the 19th SEA Games needs Rp
\n4 billion (US$1,250,000) to pay for its athletes' last 10 days of
\ntraining before the regional sports gathering.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's chef de mission, Togi M. Hutagaol, told reporters
\nyesterday that the money was expected to be handed over by the
\nconsortium later this week.<\/p>\n
\"I'm waiting for an answer from Setya Novanto (the National
\nSports Council's treasurer and the Indonesian team's training
\nprogram's treasurer),\" Togi said.<\/p>\n
The Games consortium has thus far handed over Rp 24.23 billion
\nto finance the training program.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian SEA Games contingent, made up of 826 athletes
\nand 203 officials, met President Soeharto at the State Palace
\nTuesday. Vice President Try Sutrisno and several cabinet
\nministers also attended the meeting.<\/p>\n
The consortium had promised to hand over the rest of the Rp 35
\nbillion budget by the end of September. The budget includes the
\nticket fares to return athletes to their hometowns.<\/p>\n
Togi said the money was needed for accommodation -- including
\nthe athletes' board and lodging, their allowances, and the
\ncontract money for foreign coaches -- and for equipment,
\nincluding uniforms.<\/p>\n
\"The uniforms are ready but the money isn't,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"We are prioritizing the athletes' allowances and providing
\nthem from our own budget although we have yet to receive it from
\nthe consortium,\" said Togi, who declined to mention where the
\nmoney came from.<\/p>\n
Togi said some sports organizations had provided their own
\nequipment without waiting for the money from the consortium.<\/p>\n
\"They are, among others, badminton, swimming, track and field,
\ngymnastics and cycling,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Closing<\/p>\n
The sports council's vice chairman, Arie Sudewo, told a press
\nconference that the organizing committee had decided not to
\nschedule any matches during the closing ceremony.<\/p>\n
\"It's not true that we won't feature the soccer final in the
\nclosing ceremony because we don't have a chances of reaching it.<\/p>\n
\"The track and field association also proposed staging the
\nmarathon, in which it expects to get the gold, before the closing
\nceremony but we declined,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The organizers plan to stage free-of-charge matches during the
\nbiennial event, which starts on Oct. 11 and ends on Oct. 19, by
\nallowing the public to exchange their SEA Games stickers -- which
\nare given out when people pay electricity, water and telephone
\nbills and airport taxes.<\/p>\n
\"The sticker exchange is only to limit the number of
\nspectators in each event, especially in indoor stadiums. If the
\nvenue is full, the sports organizers and the security will have
\nto tell the spectators to watch another match,\" Arie said.<\/p>\n
\"If the venue is too full, we're afraid that participants
\nmight complain about the situation,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Venues<\/p>\n
Arie said military personnel would help with the cleaning up
\nof the Senayan sports complex.<\/p>\n
\"We all see that Senayan is still dirty and the council plans
\nto cooperate with the Jakarta Regional Military Command to clean
\nup the complex,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The hockey field, which cost Rp 1.5 billion, is expected to be
\nfinished on Monday, the director of the American-based AstroTurf
\nSophocles Sophocleous said yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"The field, including the lighting and the water system, will
\nbe ready on Monday. But there is no water to test if the system
\nworks,\" Sophocleous said.<\/p>\n
The 6,000-square-meter artificial turf field will need to be
\nsprinkled about 30 minutes before each match starts. It will need
\nbetween one and three liters per square meter.<\/p>\n
The newly finished squash courts, which will become the
\nnational squash center after the Games, will be inaugurated
\ntomorrow.<\/p>\n
Arie said the organizers canceled their plan to make
\nartificial rain over the Jatiluhur dam because the water surface
\nwas high enough to meet the necessary standards. (yan)<\/p>",
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