Athletes fail to join squad

Athletes fail to join squad

JAKARTA (JP): More than a thousand of Indonesia's 1,777
athletes have not yet come for Southeast Asian (SEA) Games
training, the head of national training, Togi Hutagaol, said
Thursday.

"We have not yet heard whether the 1,008 athletes will attend
training. The 2,805 will be reduced to 840 athletes. Although the
final number of athletes for the Indonesian team at the SEA Games
will be decided in August, " Togi was quoted by Antara as saying.

Togi said Indonesia would send 300 more athletes than went to
the last SEA Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

"The extra athletes are because of the additional events in
this year's 19th SEA Games compared to the 29 events in the 18th
Games in Thailand."

Togi said that national training starting in June would focus
on several competitions and trial matches.

Most of the competitions and trial matches will be held
overseas. These include athletics, swimming and billiards in the
United States, gymnastics in Bulgaria and Russia, shooting in
Italy and Germany, and boxing in Uzbekistan.

Wushu athletes will leave for China on June 12 for a series of
trial matches while archers will compete in the Korea Open.

Indonesia has also sent its mountain bike athletes to Japan
and track cyclists to Tehran for the Asia VIII championship from
June 12 to June 14. (lnt)