Security uncertainty shadow over sports events<\/p>\n
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The country has again shown its vulnerability to security
\nfears in the wake of rife anti-U.S. rallies, which have cost it a
\nlot of sports opportunities.<\/p>\n
Cancellation of the Wismilak Open WTA Tour tennis
\nchampionship, which was to have taken place in Surabaya from Oct.
\n27 to Nov. 4, was the latest example of how the development of
\npolitical issues at home can have an ill effect on sports.<\/p>\n
It was the second time in three years the tournament was
\nscrapped due to security uncertainty. The previous cancellation
\nfollowed the fall of president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Various Muslim groups in the country have rallied against the
\nU.S. to protest the U.S. and British-led air and missile attacks
\non Afghanistan, a move dubbed a retaliation for the Sept. 11
\nterrorist attacks in New York and Washington.<\/p>\n
Muslim radicals have even threatened to hunt down American and
\nBritish expatriates if the government fails to respond to their
\ndemand that Indonesia sever ties with the two western countries.<\/p>\n
\"The current situation has proved unwelcome for the event
\norganizers because we have had difficulty in bringing in foreign
\nplayers,\" Maya Hidayat, from the International Management Group
\n(IMG), told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.<\/p>\n
U.S.-based IMG did proceed with the Philip X-rage competition
\nlast month as scheduled, but without the presence of American
\ncompetitors, who withdrew at the last minute.<\/p>\n
Maya said the failure to bring in top players, especially from
\noverseas, and assure them that the country was safe had hurt the
\nimage and promotional efforts made by the sports event organizer.<\/p>\n
\"The event became less prestigious when top players failed to
\nturn up,\" he said of this year's Indonesian Open badminton
\nchampionships, which were deprived of some of the world's top
\nplayers.<\/p>\n
\"The crowd attendance dropped and this is bad for promotion,\"
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
IMG, which organizes local events every year, will stick to
\nits plans to stage two international tournaments next year -- the
\nPhilip X-rage and the Indonesian Open.<\/p>\n
While the dates had yet to be confirmed, Maya hinted that
\nwithdrawals or the failure to bring in foreign players would
\nstill threaten the tournaments if the security situation did not
\nimprove.<\/p>\n
\"We can't ensure their arrival until the authorities say that
\nsecurity is guaranteed,\" she said.<\/p>\n
However, Bali seems to be a safe hub for foreigners to engage
\nin sport, as organizers confirmed that there was no withdrawal of
\nforeign competitors from the Indonesia Power Bali 10-kilometer
\nrun, which took place on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The race offered a total Rp 200 million in cash prizes.<\/p>\n
\"We still have in our pocket the 110 names of athletes
\nplanning their participation in the event,\" said Komang Budiarta,
\nthe chairman of the organizing committee, as quoted by Antara on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
The run, which took the route from the Ngurah Rai Statute to
\nNusa Dua, saw world-class names such as Paula Radcliffe
\n(Britain), 2000 Sydney gold medalist Naoko Takayasahi (Japan),
\nDorthe Rasmussen (Denmark), Yamma Belkacem (France), Olga Apell
\n(Mexico) and Maria Luisa Servin (Mexico).<\/p>",
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