Agung tells KONI to put more effort into training athletes

JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Agung Laksono urged the National Sports Council (KONI) to prioritize athlete's achievement in order to dominate regional sports.

Agung told reporters following a meeting with KONI officials at his office on Friday that KONI should arrange a proposal for a training program in the 2001 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur instead of discussing the bidding of the 2006 Asian Games.

"I told them to listen to the people's wish. Please review the bidding plan. Don't concentrate too much on the bidding for the Asian Games while at the same time forgetting about the training for the 2001 SEA Games,"

"It doesn't mean that I do not agree with the bid, but we have to be realistic. I appreciate KONI's plan to host the Asian Games. Should we host the games? I want this country to be successful in the athletes achievement first and not only in keeping our honor," he said.

Agung later said that KONI should prove that it can work with sports federations to train the athletes to regain the overall title in the 2001 SEA Games before setting their eyes on dominating higher level events such as the Asian Games.

"I don't want to go against KONI's target in 2006 Asian Games. But we have to win," he said.

Indonesia has been campaigning for the 2006 games. It last hosted the games in 1962. Malaysia, India, Hong Kong, Qatar, Syria and Uzbekistan are also competing for the right to host the games. The Olympic Council of Asia will announce the winning bid in October 2000.

He also lashed out at KONI's plan to recommend the House of Representatives to review their vision for national development in the state guidelines (GBHN), which stipulates that Indonesia must win the overall title in any sports events which are held during the five-year period of an administration.

"GBHN represents the people's voice. Our failure in the 1999 SEA Games has become the talk of the town. If we can't overcome our opponents in the southeast Asian region, how can we win in larger international events? The overall title and achievement should go together," he said.

"I told KONI to win the overall title while improving our athletes' performances in the next SEA Games. We are not ambitious, but we can achieve the double target because we have won the titles several times. All the time we lose against the same countries: either Thailand or Malaysia," he said.

He also said that KONI should submit a budget for training in its proposal. "I asked them not to request financial support three or four months before the events," he said.

KONI presented the conclusion of a meeting last week to evaluate Indonesia's poor showing at the SEA Games in August at Agung's office on Friday.

The presentation, given by Indra Djati Sidi head of the special task force, concluded that three months of training was not enough to improve physical skills. (ivy)