20th SEA Games contingent gets on its way

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian contingent for the 20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games left on Wednesday for Brunei Darussalam after a modest ceremony at the National Sports Council (KONI) headquarters.

On Wednesday morning, KONI chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar bid farewell to the first contingent. The team, comprising 225 athletes and officials, joined in the Patriot song before Wismoyo delivered a speech.

"Let's prepare for the battle," Wismoyo said.

Shortly afterwards, many of the women athletes departed in six buses to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Other team members were scheduled on a later afternoon flight.

Cargo belonging to the contingent was flown to Brunei about five hours earlier.

The first contingent, led by chef de mission Mochammad Hindarto and SEA Games training director Imron Z.S., left Jakarta in a chartered Garuda Indonesia national carrier at about 9.00 a.m. The second contingent, comprising mostly male athletes, led by deputy chef de mission Hussein Argasasmita left at 4.20 p.m.

The first plane load carried athletes from track and field, badminton, bowling, golf, karate, diving, swimming, pencak silat, taekwondo, tennis and traditional boat racing.

The second contingent are representing track and field, basketball, billiards, hockey, karate, pencak silat, water polo, taekwondo, squash, tennis and boxing.

A KONI advance team led by J E W Gozal was set to welcome the contingents in Bandar Seri Begawan.

A special team chaired by Indra Kartasasmita, which is campaigning for Indonesia's bid as the candidate city to host the 2006 Asian Games, also joined the contingent. They will deliver a presentation during a breakfast meeting on Aug. 6.

Indonesia will be accommodated in two apartments, 2D and 2E. The chef de mission will attend the flag hoisting ceremony on Aug. 5.

The Indonesian contingent -- consisting 354 athletes and 80 officials -- will parade in the first line during the Games opening at the 28,000-seat Hassanal Bolkiah State Stadium in Bandar Seri Begawan.

The contingent, led by Hindarto, will follow 100 SEA Games flag bearers and the 100 participating countries' flag bearers.

Following Indonesia will be contingents from Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and host Brunei Darussalam. Referees and judges will make up the last contingents.

About 6,000 local students and over 4,000 citizens will attend the opening ceremony, which starts at 8.00 p.m. local time (7.00 p.m. Jakarta Time) and is scheduled to run for three hours.

Antara reported on Wednesday that SEA Games organizing chairman Pengiran Muda Haji Sufri Bolkiah will report to Brunei's Sultan at 8:45 p.m. before opening the Games at 09.09 p.m. The royal family will also attend the ceremony.

At 9:26 p.m., three Brunei senior athletes -- shooting gold medalist Lt. Col. Dato Setia Haji Mohd. and pencak silat gold medalists Hj Umi Kalthoum and Hj. Jabidi Mohd. Ali -- will enter the stadium to light the torch.

A song composed by Sufri Bolkiah titled Here We Meet, will mark the end of the ceremony. (ivy)