Thai rules for SEA games queried<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) questioned
\nthe motives behind Thailand's applying rules different from
\ninternationally-accepted regulations in the upcoming 18th
\nSoutheast Asian Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand.<\/p>\n
One of the different rules is that the rhythmic gymnastics
\nevent will offer seven gold medals rather than only one as usual.<\/p>\n
\"The rhythmic gymnastic event requires the gymnast to perform
\nseven movements for one gold medal, never seven gold medals for
\neach movement,\" said Moch. Hindarto, KONI's training director.<\/p>\n
Hindarto acknowledged that Thailand gymnasts were better than
\nIndonesia's. They came out number one in the Southeast Asian
\njunior rhythmic gymnastic championships here last April.<\/p>\n
But he said that multiplying the number of gold medals was not
\nfair. He speculated that the Thai's were simply trying to
\nguarantee they would take as many gold medals as possible.<\/p>\n
Another unusual ruling is found in the diving event.
\nInternational rules requires two teams of judges for performance
\nappraisal and each athlete is required to dive 10 times.<\/p>\n
But Thailand requires each athlete to dive only eight times
\nand has only one team of judges, Hindarto said.<\/p>\n
\"We have sent a letter questioning such rules and asking
\nThailand to stick to the international rules,\" he said, declining
\nto refer to it as a letter of protest.<\/p>\n
Responding to the worries of the Indonesian Shooting
\nAssociation that Thailand will drop some shooting events at which
\nIndonesia excels, Hindarto said Thailand could not do so without
\npermission.<\/p>\n
Events agreed upon previously by the organizing committee
\ncannot be omitted easily, he added.<\/p>\n
Thailand recently deleted two athletic events, the men's 10km
\nwalk and women's 20km walk, from the list, citing traffic jams as
\nthe reason.<\/p>\n
Unlike the other SEA Games bound teams, which are to go to
\nChiang Mai on Dec. 6, the national soccer team is scheduled to go
\nearlier, on Dec. 1, because the competition will take place on
\nDec. 3.<\/p>\n
The Chiang Mai SEA Games will last from Dec. 9 to Dec. 17.<\/p>\n
For the qualifying rounds, Indonesia's soccer team has been
\nput in Group A, together with Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.
\nGroup B consists of Myanmar, Singapore, Laos, Brunei and the
\nPhilippines.<\/p>\n
Indonesia will take on Thailand on Dec. 4. However, the All-
\nIndonesia Soccer Association, as well as four other sports
\nassociations, have yet to name the athletes they will field at
\nthe Games. (arf)<\/p>",
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