Athletes cut back for 20th SEA Games
Athletes cut back for 20th SEA Games
JAKARTA (JP): The first cuts to athletics' teams participating
at the national training program for the 20th Southeast Asian
(SEA) Games were announced on Thursday.
Director of training Imron Z.S. said 33 players had not been
able to meet the training requirements. Sepak takraw and squash
players were among the athletes.
Some 20 sports bodies fielding athletes in the biennial event
have started to cut back their squads from the original total
number of 549 participating athletes. Indonesia plans to send 448
athletes to the Games, which takes place in Brunei Darussalam
from Aug. 7 to Aug. 15.
Imron expected the 20 sports bodies to submit final lists of
competing athletes, at the latest, by the end of this month.
"The deadline is the end of June, because I have to send entry
forms with names to the Games organizer at the latest by July 3,"
he said after a meeting with four supervisors of the national
training programs.
National Sports Council (KONI) chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar
is scheduled to inaugurate the centralized training program on
Friday.
Imron said despite financial difficulties to implement the
training program, athletes still demonstrated high motivation to
win as many medals as possible in the Games.
KONI is still waiting for the National Planning and
Development Board (Bappenas) and the Gelora Senayan Management
Board to disburse their donation of Rp 5.5 billion (US$675,000)
and Rp 4.5 billion respectively.
Imron said KONI had to pay for training program expenses of Rp
500 million, before it received the money from both donators.
"We won't use the Rp 5.5 billion budget to buy sports
equipment. But since some potential gold medalists need new
equipment, we reconsidered our decision."
Imron said men's pole vaulter Nunung Jayadi was one of the
recipients of the new equipment. The Indonesian Amateur Athletics
Association (PASI) had requested KONI buy a new fiber pole
costing approximately $2,000.
"PASI has ensured me that Nunung can improve his personal best
to 5.20 meters," he said. (ivy)