SEA Games contingent may top 600<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The National Sports Council (KONI) said on Monday the
\nIndonesian contingent for the 23rd Southeast Asia (SEA) Games was
\nlikely to top 600 athletes, following the recent addition of
\ndozens of events in the biannual event.<\/p>\n
KONI's head of development Djoko Pramono said additional
\nevents at the Games in Manila later this year would include the
\nteam competitions in badminton and tennis.<\/p>\n
\"There are dozens of additional events in the 2005 SEA Games
\nin Manila,\" Djoko said.<\/p>\n
\"This will consequently increase the number of our athletes,
\nalthough not in every event.\"<\/p>\n
A meeting is set for Wednesday to decide the exact number of
\nathletes, he added..<\/p>\n
Currently, a total of 583 athletes from 36 sports are in
\ntraining for the Games.<\/p>\n
KONI is hoping for a better result than Indonesia's third
\nplace finish behind Vietnam and Thailand at the 2003 SEA Games.<\/p>\n
The addition of badminton, in which Indonesia is the leader in
\nSoutheast Asia, will provide more medal opportunities. But the
\ncouncil has acknowledged that Indonesia's chance of achieving its
\ngoal to return to the top of the medal standings for the first
\ntime since the 1997 Games in Jakarta is slim, mainly due to the
\ncurrent poor performance in athletics and swimming.<\/p>\n
Djoko also said he was disappointed that 11 sports
\norganizations were a month overdue in starting centralized
\ntraining for the Games.<\/p>\n
\"Golf, dance sport, soccer, bowling, karate, shooting,
\nvolleyball, equestrian, swimming, judo and basketball sports
\norganizations have not yet the started training center program,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
All organizations agreed to begin their programs on April 1,
\nbut some have yet to implement them fully, with reasons ranging
\nfrom the late arrival of athletes from their hometowns or the
\nunavailability of official coaches.<\/p>\n
Djoko was not prepared to accept excuses.<\/p>\n
\"They should realize that SEA Games is to uphold the name of
\nIndonesia at international level, but I just don't understand why
\nthey have failed to implement the training center program as
\nscheduled.\"<\/p>",
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