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)