14th National Games budget estimated at Rp 26.5 billion

14th National Games budget estimated at Rp 26.5 billion

JAKARTA (JP): The organizing committee of the 14th National Games (PON) has estimated their budget for the country's biggest sporting meet at Rp 26.5 billion (around US$12 million), though they still face a Rp 3 billion ($1.35 million) deficit.

Committee Chairman Surjadi Soedirdja told a hearing with the National Sports Council (KONI) yesterday that host Jakarta has committed Rp 11 billion (nearly $5 million) from the 1995/1996 and 1996/1997 budgets.

Soerjadi, who is also Governor of Jakarta, said that the committee will receive Rp 7 billion ($3.1 million) through sponsorship. Other revenues are expected to come from public service fees, ticket sales and donations from all 27 participating provinces.

"We would like either KONI or the government to cover the deficit," said Soerjadi. The budget for the 14th PON, scheduled for September 1996, has increased Rp 8.5 billion ($3.8 million) since the previous games in 1993.

"The financial shortage has become crucial because the Games will be staged one year earlier than scheduled and because we no longer can rely on the government-backed lottery," said Surjadi, who was named committee chairman for a second successive year.

National lottery organizers donated Rp 5.26 billion ($2.37 million) to the 1993 PON, just a few months before the government banned the lottery.

KONI decided last January to move up the next quadrennial Games from 1997 to 1996. KONI says that 1997 is a very busy year for Indonesia due to general elections the 19th Southeast Asian (SEA) Game, which Indonesia will host.

Unreliable

Though KONI president Wismoyo Arismunandar responded warmly to Surjadi's complaint over the financial shortages, he said that KONI was not the right place to look for financial aid.

"We need to work together. KONI is now scrambling to collect fresh funds for national sporting activities," Wismoyo said. Fifty national leading businessmen gave KONI financial help during a dinner last month, including Rp 15 billion ($6.76 million) to send the national team to the Southeast Asian Games in Chiang Mai in December.

Mohammad "Bob" Hasan, Wismoyo's deputy, suggested that Surjadi cut the budget by strictly sorting out which athletes and officials are participating in the National Games.

"Many 'tourists' have come here for previous PONs," Hasan said, referring ironically to the swelling number of officials that attend the Games with little or no purpose. "I never saw them work for their teams at all before," he added.

The Games next year are expected to introduce more events such as bridge, chess, squash, billiards, beach volleyball and an equestrian segment.

"We've agreed to put them into full-fledged medal events since our athletes have been internationally recognized in some of those events," Wismoyo said. (arf/amd)