900 SEA Games referees scheduled to arrive today
JAKARTA (JP): More than 900 foreign and local referees are due to arrive today for the 19th SEA Games.
The organizing committee's competition deputy, Mohammad Hindarto, announced yesterday that about 500 local referees and 400 foreign referees were expected to gather here by tomorrow at the latest.
Hindarto said that apart from paying for invited referee's tickets, the organizers would also provide them with board and lodging and an allowance.
"Usually each contingent brings two referees, the maximum number allowed, for each sport. As the host, we have the responsibility of providing board and lodging and giving them an allowance," he said.
The organizers will provide tickets for 41 technical delegates, 89 members of the jury of appeals and 84 neutral referees.
The executive director of the appointed travel agency Nustra Convention, Lien Pelapory, said the agency had provided 132 international air tickets to foreign referees and 150 tickets to local referees.
"We expect all foreign referees to arrive here on Monday while the local referees will arrive tomorrow," she said in a telephone interview.
The organizers' referee deputy, Imron ZS, said that up to Friday evening only 15 percent of the tickets, international and domestic, had yet to be delivered.
"It's not easy to take care of about 400 people, especially those living abroad," he said.
Hindarto said some foreign referees, who have yet to receive their tickets, will have to buy their own tickets first.
"Referees who haven't received their tickets are expected to buy their own tickets. When they get here, the organizers will reimburse them for their tickets," he said.
Lien said the agency had been issuing tickets since last Monday, while the organizers reserved flights about four weeks ago.
"It takes a long time to issue the tickets because we have to wait for confirmation and for the cash to pay the PTA (pre-ticket advice)," she said.
"So far we have had no problem in sending the tickets and in receiving the money from the organizers," she added.
Free tickets
National carrier Garuda Airways has provided free tickets for referees coming from ASEAN countries, while other airlines also gave discounts, Lien said, without saying which airlines.
Hindarto also said he did not know about the change in plans to book rooms at another two hotels for the referees.
"The original plan, which was decided upon in November 1996, was to accommodate the referees in Hotel Indonesia, Hotel Wisata and Hotel Kartika Chandra," he said, adding that Hotel Indonesia had reserved 50 rooms less than requested to accommodate participants of the People's Consultative Assembly/House of Representatives General Assembly here last week.
"I just found out that the organizers also booked the Park Royal Hotel in Ancol and the Omni Batavia hotel for the referees," he added.
Hindarto complained that a sudden change in plans would have confused the competition department because members would not know where to find the referees. (yan)