826 to represent RI at SEA Games

826 to represent RI at SEA Games

JAKARTA (JP): Host country Indonesia will field a team of 826
athletes, the largest of the 10 participating countries' teams at
the 19th SEA Games here next month.

National training director Djoko Pramono said yesterday that
500 Indonesian men and 326 Indonesian women would compete in the
biennial event, which starts in Jakarta on Oct. 11 and ends on
Oct. 19.

Thirty-five foreign and 168 local coaches, and 210 officials
will join the national squad.

Togi M. Hutagaol was named chef de mission of the contingent
with Djoko and Indra Djati Sidi as his deputies.

Indonesia's arch rival Thailand will send 400 male and 305
female athletes to the Games, the Philippines team will comprise
476 male and 306 female athletes, Malaysia's 367 male and 182
female athletes, and Singapore's 297 male and 149 female
athletes.

Vietnam will field a team of 212 men and 185 women, Myanmar
will send 367 men and 182 women, and Brunei Darussalam will send
220 men and 76 women.

The smallest teams will come from Laos and Cambodia.

Laos will only send 67 men and 32 women while Cambodia will
send 81 men and two women to the Games.

However, the numbers of overseas athletes may change with the
final counting of entries by name, which is expected to be
announced tomorrow.

Djoko said all the Indonesian athletes who are being groomed
abroad should return to Indonesia before Oct. 1.

"Some swimmers, fencers and boxers are expected to arrive by
the end of this month," he said.

Djoko said that the billiard players, and wushu (Chinese
martial art), bowling, cycling, water skiing, yachting,
gymnastics, pencak silat, rowing and women's soccer athletes will
not stay with the rest of the squad at Hotel Atlet Century Park.
Instead, they will stay near their venues.

Overseas athletes will stay at the newly opened Hotel Mulia
Senayan next to the Senayan Sports Complex.

Forty athletes from Vietnam arrived here in August making it
the first contingent to come to Jakarta.

Indonesian Rowing Association secretary-general Budiman
Setiawan, said that 36 rowing boats were still being held by
customs at Tanjung Priok Port.

The German-made Empacher boats arrived in Indonesia on Sept. 5
and are expected at Jatiluhur dam on Friday.

Budiman said the 30 canoes which arrived at the same time have
been released and are being used for training.

"We really need the rowing boats soon because the sooner our
rowers try them, the better they will adapt," he said.

Volleyball training director Sutardiono said the Indonesian
Volleyball Association had decided to use Molten balls instead of
Mikasa balls.

"Our athletes have used Molten balls during their training
sessions for the Games, " he said.

"If we change to another type of ball, they may have trouble
adapting their game."

The association has a contract with Molten to use its
products, and for it to be the official Games ball.

But the consortium has a contract with Mikasa to use its balls
during the Games. (yan)