Thais send 846 athletes to retain SEA Games title<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Thailand will deploy 846 athletes--496 men and
\n350 women--in its bid to retain the overall title at the 19th SEA
\nGames here in October.<\/p>\n
Three countries have so far submitted their entry forms:
\nThailand, Cambodia and the Philippines.<\/p>\n
Thailand, which is aiming to finish fourth in next year's
\nAsian Games in Bangkok, will participate in all 34 sports events
\nin the biennial SEA Games, which are scheduled to run from Oct.
\n11 to ends on Oct. 19.<\/p>\n
M. Hindarto, a competition official of the Games organizing
\ncommittee, said yesterday that Thailand's contingent is the
\nlargest of those being fielded by the three countries which have
\nso far submitted entry forms.<\/p>\n
Cambodia is to take part in 15 events and will send 66 male
\nand three female athletes.<\/p>\n
Vietnam has confirmed its participation but has yet to submit
\ndetails of its contingent.<\/p>\n
The Philippines will participate in 32 events--sitting out for
\nonly hockey and water skiing--but has yet to reveal how many
\nathletes will be sent.<\/p>\n
Hindarto said that Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines had
\nall submitted their forms on the deadline of Feb. 28.<\/p>\n
\"Some countries have asked for tolerance for two weeks,\" he
\nadded. \"We have agree to wait until March 10.\"<\/p>\n
As of yesterday, host Indonesia had yet to submit its own
\nform.<\/p>\n
Games organizers say they expect entry-by-name forms to have
\nbeen submitted by all participating countries in September.<\/p>\n
Hindarto, a former Jakarta police chief, said that the
\norganizers are facing venue problems in relation to bowling and
\nhockey.<\/p>\n
\"There are three alternatives for the bowling venue,\" he said.
\n\"One is Pluit Mall in North Jakarta; the second is Cilandak
\nPlaza, South Jakarta; and the third is Ancol (North Jakarta).\"<\/p>\n
Hindarto said that both Pluit and Cilandak have newly-
\nconstructed bowling centers and that the bowling lanes in Ancol
\nare currently undergoing a facelift and expected to finish in
\nJune.<\/p>\n
\"We're still looking for a sponsor to build a synthetic hockey
\nfield which meets international requirements. If we can't afford
\nit, we can seek from the international field organization to
\nstage the event on grass,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The secretary-general of the Indonesian Karate-do Federation,
\nG.A. Pesik, said he expects his team to win at least seven out of
\nthe 15 karate golds on offer.<\/p>\n
\"We have a chance to make a clean sweep. So far we have always
\nbeen the overall winner in karate,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia won seven karate golds, eight silvers and eight
\nbronzes in the 1993 Games in Singapore. The sport was not
\ncontested at 1995 Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand.<\/p>\n
Pesik said that Indonesia's biggest karate hope is to win the
\nwomen's events and kata events, in both individual or team
\nefforts.<\/p>\n
He said Indonesia's male karatekas will face serious
\nchallenges from Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines.<\/p>\n
\"It's hard for us to recapture our glorious times, such as
\n1987, when we won 12 out of 15 golds. Brunei Darussalam and
\nMalaysia have hired our coaches to train their athletes,\" Pesik
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The federation is grooming 54 athletes and will select 45 for
\nthe national main squad.<\/p>\n
It will also hire a foreign coach--from either Japan or
\nBritain--who is expected to arrive in June. (yan)<\/p>",
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