Agung pledges to work with sports council
JAKARTA (JP): Newly inaugurated State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Agung Laksono paid a courtesy call to National Sports Council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar yesterday to make pledges of cooperation between the two sports authorities.
Agung, who came to Wismoyo's office after his inauguration at the State Palace, also promised to seek solutions to financial problems burdening the country's preparations for December's 13th Asian Games in Bangkok.
"I don't want to see Indonesia's sports achievements decline. We'll make it better with good coordination and management between the council and my office," Agung said after the meeting.
He declined to elaborate, requesting a few days to thoroughly study current national sports developments.
"I've just been appointed and inaugurated, so please give me two or three days to think and learn about the situation," he said.
He said he would shrug off past conflicts involving his predecessor Hayono Isman with the sports council.
"There should be no more conflict. We must work together for the sake of the nation's sports development," he said.
Agung said the monetary crisis should not pose an obstacle to the country's chances of success in the upcoming games.
"While the economic turmoil goes on, we should not lose our fighting spirit to keep improving our achievements," said Agung, who has relinquished his top post at the privately run ANteve television channel.
Indonesia managed only three golds, 12 silvers and 11 bronzes to finish 11th after Malaysia and Qatar in the last Asiad in Hiroshima, Japan, four years ago.
Indonesia's training director for the upcoming Asiad, M. Hindarto, told Agung that 115 athletes from 22 sports events had been groomed since November.
The sports council expects Indonesia to net gold medals from six sports, silvers from 10 sports and bronzes from the remaining events.
"We'll follow the President's instruction to only send potential medal winners based on results of their final evaluation in August," Hindarto said.
The council is likely to send 109 athletes to the Asiad.
Agung suggested that Indonesia send only a small number of officials to the Asian Games to save funds.
Wismoyo expressed hope that the new minister would help the council finance the national team's trip to Thailand.
"We're taking on a heavy duty, because we haven't received as much financial assistance as expected," he told Agung.
The government has provided Rp 3 billion (US$300,000) from the state budget, only one-fifth of the budget set by the council for Indonesia's participation in the Asian Games.
"Fortunately, most sports organizations are managing to cover their respective training session expenses although we expected them to finance half of the training budget," he added.
Wismoyo insisted that the national soccer team go to Bangkok, although he admitted that it might not reach the semifinals.
"Soccer is a favorite sport here. We'll feel guilty if we can't improve our performance. We'd rather give the team a second chance to compete at the Asiad," he said.
Former minister of youth affairs and sports Hayono had lashed out at the council's plan to send the soccer team to Bangkok, saying that its slim chance at reaching the semifinals was not worth its inclusion in the national squad. (emf/yan)