Athletes willing to adjust at games village

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Palembang

Some houses at the Games village in Jakabaring, remain without electricity.

"Yes, Mas (big brother) we are still living in darkness," an athlete told The Jakarta Post, while sitting on a chair in front of the house. He requested anonymity.

He said other athletes had no electricity in their accommodation at the village when they arrived but the supplies were switched on after they had lodged complaints.

Despite these discouraging conditions, Yoso Hendrayanto, a member of the West Java delegation, was unperturbed.

"Overall for us, the rooms in the Games village are in good condition; water runs without disruptions and there is no smell. The rooms are air-conditioned and good food and free transportation is available. This Games village is good," he said.

Yoso said the hosts had gone to considerable lengths to build the Games village and should be given credit.

"Sumatra is not Java, so we should not force on them our high expectations about standards in athletes' villages," he said.

However, Yoso admitted there were still problems with the village's location, especially the distance between it and competition venues like the bodybuilding venue.

Some athletes preferred to stay in a hotel in Palembang, he said.

The village comprises 1,227 6-meter by 6-meter cottages, which accommodate four athletes each. A few hundred more are bigger in size and can house six.

The small cottages have two rooms, while the bigger houses have three.

Most of the 6,039 athletes and 3,000 officials attending the Games stay at the village; part of the Jakabaring sports complex which houses the badminton, kempo, karate, gymnastics, soccer, and baseball venues.

Athletes are also living at boarding houses in other regencies including Musi Banyuasin, 120 kilometers from Palembang. Swimming, equestrian and paragliding events are being held in Musi Banyuasin's capital city of Sekayu.

Yogyakarta official Atok said his team could manage living in the Games village despite its weaknesses.

Atok also questioned the distance athletes had to travel from the village to compete and wondered why there were no newspapers available.

"But let's stay positive and keep focused on the Games," he said.

Aceh contingent official Syamsul Rizal said he had complained about the food in the athletes village.

"The host did not improve the food until we complained. The management here does not have a service mentality," Syamsul said.

Zulkardi, the spokesman of the organizing committee, said he realized the weaknesses.

"You can imagine how difficult it is for us to hold such an event as we lacked infrastructure before," he said.

"The South Sumatra province built the village to accommodate athletes and we are trying our best to fulfill their needs," he said.