All sports events to go ahead at SEA Games
JAKARTA (JP): The 19th SEA Games training director Djoko Pramono said here yesterday that contrary to news reports no events were due to be canceled.
"No sports will be scratched from the Games. Unless some countries withdraw from events," he said.
The Organizing Committee's competition deputy, M. Hindarto, said Monday that six events were in doubt because only three countries had registered to participate in them.
SEA Games regulations say an event must have at least three participating countries. If it has less, it will be scratched.
Hindarto said the women's javelin (Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are registered), yachting's fire ball event (Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand), shooting's running target and double trap events (Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam), water skiing (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand) and water polo (Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand) had the smallest number of participants.
Djoko said it would be better if at least five countries were registered in each event so that if two countries withdrew it could still go ahead.
"We'll know the exact number of athletes by Sept. 12, the deadline for registering entry by name," he said.
Earlier, sports expert Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar urged the National Sports Council to persuade participating countries not to withdraw from the Games.
"If a certain event is our biggest chance to win gold, we must work really hard to have it go ahead," he said.
Djoko said he had his own estimate of how many gold medals the national squad would win.
"I have reports from each sports training director but I also make my own. I can say that the number may still be the same as the last one we discussed," he said.
Prediction
The council predicted in June that Indonesia would win nearly 150 gold medals at the biennial event, which will start on Oct. 11 and end on Oct. 19.
At the 1995 Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Indonesia finished second with 77 golds, 67 silvers and 77 bronzes. Thailand was first with 157 golds, 98 silvers and 91 bronzes.
"If in two months, all athletes, coaches and officials work really hard, I believe we can achieve our target. And I'm optimistic that we can regain our overall title from Thailand," Djoko said.
The council is grooming 822 athletes -- although it had originally planned on 810 --, 166 local coaches and 30 foreign coaches.
"Some sports have yet to reduce their number of athletes due to their need for sparring partners," he said.
Djoko said some athletes were injured during their training here or in other countries.
Women's soccer goalkeeper Sophia underwent knee surgery two months ago, while women's softball player Nurjanah had to return home from an overseas stint in China with a knee injury.
Judoka Kresna Bayu is undergoing treatment for a thumb injury and judoka Aprilia Marzuki has had his appendix removed.
Djoko said: "The council will not return sick or injured athletes without putting them under medical supervision." (yan)