Adhyaksa ponders SEAG humiliation

Adhyaksa ponders SEAG humiliation

JAKARTA: State Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs Adhyaksa
Dault said on Wednesday the National Sports Council (KONI) should
not take all the blame for Indonesia's disastrous performance in
the recently ended 23rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

"Don't put it all on KONI, for we must ascertain the problem
by involving all parties, from the sports community to experts,
including journalists," he was quoted as saying by Antara news
service on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony of new
ministers in Jakarta.

He felt one of the main reasons for the failure in the Games
-- where nine-time winner Indonesia finished fifth in the medal
standings, its lowest placing since it made its debut at the
Games in 1977 -- was due to the lack of regular competition in
the country.

"Look at the results of the women's soccer team. They rarely
get to play at home, so why were they sent overseas?"

Adhyaksa said a special monitoring team would be established
for the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.

"The monitoring team will be founded to ensure the sending of
athletes to the Asian Games will have the appropriate budget and
target so they can achieve the desired prestige." -- AP