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)