Soft tennis proposed for 1997 SEA Games<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Soft Tennis Association asked the
\n19th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games Organizing Committee yesterday
\nto feature the sport as an exhibition event during the games here
\nnext year.<\/p>\n
Abdul Gafur, chairman of the soft tennis body, said after a
\nmeeting with SEA Games committee chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar
\nthat seven countries, including Indonesia, have thrown their
\nweight behind the proposal.<\/p>\n
\"The director general of the world soft tennis body has
\nsubmitted an official request to the OC after representatives of
\nVietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia
\nand Indonesia signed the proposal,\" Gafur said.<\/p>\n
The SEA Games take place here from Oct. 11 to Oct. 19 next
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Soft tennis is the less muscular version of tennis, in which
\nplayers hit a sponge ball with a light racket. The court and
\nrules are the same as for normal tennis.<\/p>\n
Wismoyo welcomed the request, but said the committee needs to
\nconsider it carefully before approving. \"We don't want to break
\nany rules if we endorse this proposal,\" said Wismoyo.<\/p>\n
A SEA Games Council regulation says that a sport requires
\nsupport from at least four countries and should feature
\ncompetitors from three countries.<\/p>\n
The SEA Games Council agreed to pick 34 sports for the 19th
\nSEA Games during a plenary meeting here last August. The Games in
\nChiang Mai, Thailand, last year consisted of 28 events.<\/p>\n
Soft tennis made its Asian Games debut as a medal event in
\nHiroshima two years ago. Indonesia, then ranked fifth in the
\nworld, sent a team but returned home empty handed.<\/p>\n
Wismoyo also said that the committee might approve soft
\ntennis' admission to the SEA Games only if Indonesian players
\ncould guarantee a win.<\/p>\n
\"We have to prove to the other teams that we are the best in
\nthis sport,\" Wismoyo insisted.<\/p>\n
Gafur said that Thailand and the Philippines are Indonesia's
\nstrongest opponents in soft tennis. (amd)<\/p>",
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