Silat fails to make Asian Games debut<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): With Doha being named to host the 2006 Asian
\nGames, the Indonesian traditional martial art of pencak silat has
\nseen its chance of being included in the quadrennial event
\ncrushed.<\/p>\n
"This is truly very sad news for us; I may call it a day of
\nmourning. It's impossible Doha will stage pencak silat as the
\nsport is not popular among the Arabs," the chairman of the
\nIndonesian Pencak Silat Association, Eddie Nalapraya, said on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
"It would be different if Kuala Lumpur was picked to host the
\n2006 Asiad. I'm sure Malaysia would be eager to put pencak silat
\non the list," he said.<\/p>\n
Pencak silat's chances of being staged as an exhibition sport
\nat the 2002 Pusan Asiad is also in jeopardy since Doha is
\nunlikely to include pencak silat in the event.<\/p>\n
"All we can do is lobby Doha's organizing committee to include
\npencak silat as an exhibition event so we can stage the sport in
\nthe 2010 Asiad.<\/p>\n
"We can also start a campaign to introduce pencak silat in the
\nGulf countries. At least, they would then know what kind of sport
\nit is," Eddie said.<\/p>\n
Doha, the capital of Qatar, was chosen to host the 2006 Asiad
\nduring a meeting of Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) officials in
\nPusan, South Korea. Doha defeated perceived favorite Kuala
\nLumpur, Hong Kong and New Delhi.<\/p>\n
AFP news agency reported on Sunday that OCA officials had
\ndecided to add squash and snooker to the list of sports to be
\nincluded at the 2002 Pusan Asiad, leaving pencak silat out in the
\ncold.<\/p>\n
Pusan organizers agreed to increase the number of sports at
\nthe event to 37 on the condition that the extra expenses for
\nfacilities and added accommodations at the athletes village be
\npaid for by the sports federations involved.<\/p>\n
Eddie, who is also the president of the International Pencak
\nSilat Federation, was speaking at a media conference for the 2000
\nPencak Silat World Championship at the Pencak Silat Center in
\nTaman Mini Indonesia Indah, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The championship will officially be opened by Vice President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri on Tuesday, and will end on Sunday.<\/p>\n
There are 232 athletes and 87 officials from 21 countries
\nregistered for the event, which will feature 16 different weight
\nclasses in fighting events and six martial arts events.<\/p>\n
"The number of participants is very good since we are still in
\na stage of crisis and the international media airs biased
\ncoverage of our security here, like those reports broadcast by
\nCNN.<\/p>\n
"By participating in the championship, I hope the athletes can
\ntell their families back home that Indonesia is just fine," Eddie
\nsaid. (nvn)<\/p>",
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