All sports events to go ahead at SEA Games

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)