Access to athletes restricted

JAKARTA: Indonesian Awakens (IA) organizers said on Thursday they had reduced the level of public accessibility to athletes at the Century Hotel following reported theft cases.

Guests are not allowed to meet athletes or coaches in their hotel rooms, but in the lounge.

The policy will affect sports journalists who use the athletes as news resources. IA chairman Djoko Pramono added that journalists who sought interviews with athletes would have to notify the organizers beforehand.

The IA program is a focused training program for the best national athletes by the National Sports Council (KONI) with a view to improving Indonesia's performance at the 2006 Asian Games. --JP