Asian climbing championship gets green light
Asian climbing championship gets green light
Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Security fears resulting from numerous anti-U.S. rallies will
not matter when Indonesia hosts the Asian Sport Climbing
Championships for the second time in five years at the eastern
Plaza of the Bung Karno Sports Complex this weekend.
An official of the Indonesian Climbing Federation (FPTI) told
a media conference on Tuesday that the 10th edition of the annual
competition would go ahead on Saturday and Sunday as planned.
"It is such an honor for FPTI because the Asian Council for
Competition Climbing (ACCC) agreed to sanction the event here,
despite the recent security development," chairman of the
organizing committee Col. Lodewijk F. Paulus said.
"We received questions from country federations about whether
we would be able to guarantee their safety. Once we convinced
them that their security was guaranteed, they confirmed their
participation."
Paulus, commander of Anti-terror Group V of the Army's Special
Force (Kopassus), said the organizing committee would provide a
security detail upon arrival at the Soekarno-Hatta airport and
during their stay at Hotel Atlet Century Park, which is near the
competition venue.
"Actually their traveling needs will be limited because the
venue and the hotel are very close to each other. The hotel is
also close to Plaza Senayan if they wish to shop," he said.
Despite his position in the Kopassus elite force, Paulus said
the organizers had entrusted security to the Jakarta Police.
Indonesia was deprived of the Wismilak Open tennis tournament
in Surabaya and saw leading foreign participants skip the Power
Bali 10K run due to security concerns.
The US$20,000 sport climbing event will see participants
taking part in speed and difficulty events in both the men's and
women's divisions.
So far, FPTI has received confirmation from China, which will
send two climbers. Taiwan has 14 climbers, Hong Kong 16, India
four, Malaysia eight, South Korea 15 and the Philippines 11. Host
Indonesia has the privilege of fielding 32 climbers, or double
the maximum quota of participants.
FPTI is still awaiting confirmation from Iran, Iraq, Japan,
Singapore and Thailand.
Among the participants are Koreans Choo Kui-bok and Goh Mi-sun
and Japanese Yuji Hirayama, who topped Asia's difficulty event,
said Paulus.
"Goh always dominates the Asian women's difficulty events
while Choo and Hirayama are tight competitors in the men's
division," he added.
Meanwhile, Indonesia will rely on Ronald Mamarimbing and Etty
Hendrawati in the speed event. Both Ronald and Etty recently won
the Asian Cup in Kunming, China in September. Etty also won the
ESPN World Xtreme Games in Virginia last year.
"Indonesian climbers always top the speed event, while we can
only enter the top 10 rankings in the difficulty event," said
FPTI secretary-general Kurnia.
"The Asian difficulty event is dominated by climbers from
China, Japan and South Korea."
Kurnia also said the event would help with national selection
for the World Cup, to be held in Malaysia next month.
As for the Asian championships, FPTI would use its recent
rankings list to determine the Indonesian team.