Support grows for new Games venue<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the National Sports Council, Wismoyo
\nArismunandar, has joined the mounting chorus of support to hold
\nthe next National Games outside Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Wismoyo told reporters, after watching the men's hockey final
\non Thursday, that the time had come to give other provinces a
\nchance to host the quadrennial event for the sake of national
\nsport's development.<\/p>\n
\"Boredom is not the reason to move the Games away from here.
\nStaging such a big sporting meet in other provinces is necessary
\nto encourage a fairer distribution of sport's development in this
\ncountry.\" Wismoyo said.<\/p>\n
Wismoyo was referring to Jakarta's long domination of national
\nsport, and the teams from Java winning the lion's share of medals
\nat the Games.<\/p>\n
Wismoyo, a former Army chief of staff who was elected as the
\nnational sports chief early last year, suggested Surabaya, the
\ncountry's second largest city, as the best candidate to host the
\nGames.<\/p>\n
The decision on which city is to host of the Games lies with
\nthe sports council, but only after consultation with the
\nPresident.<\/p>\n
The government has turned down all plans to move the Games
\nfrom the capital city in the next 15 years, saying that to move
\nthe Games would distract it from its poverty alleviation program.<\/p>\n
The first six National Games were held in different cities: in
\nSurakarta in Central Java, then Jakarta, then Medan in North
\nSumatra, then Makasar (now Ujungpandang) in South Sulawesi, then
\nBandung in West Java and then Surabaya in East Java.<\/p>\n
Support to move the Games away from Jakarta has also been
\ngiven by sports observers and House members. Mangombar Ferdinand
\nSiregar, a noted sports observer, said the Games needed
\nrefreshing after staying here for 23 years.<\/p>\n
Another observer, Sumohadi Marsis, said that maintaining
\nJakarta as the host of the Games was a setback, noting that the
\noriginal purpose of the Games was to improve sporting
\nperformances and facilities in provinces other than Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Governor Surjadi Soedirdja, who was named chairman of
\nthe Games organizing committee for a second successive term, said
\nthat the Games were expensive for Jakarta, and he welcomed the
\nidea of passing the baton to other provinces.<\/p>\n
This year's Games cost the city Rp 11 billion (US$4.7
\nmillion). (amd)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/support-grows-for-new-games-venue-1447893297",
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