Bali still to host Olympic qualifying matches

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Qualifying matches for the Olympic beach volleyball competition will still be held in Bali in October next year, despite the terrorist attack, the Indonesian Volleyball Association (PBVSI) said on Wednesday.

"The world volleyball body (FIVB) has confirmed the event will go ahead as planned," PBVSI chairwoman Rita Subowo said.

Rita said the good news for PBVSI, and for Indonesia in general, was the FIVB decision in Switzerland on Oct. 18 to proceed with the tournament.

Indonesia was appointed host last month when Rita met FIVB's board in Brazil.

"In Brazil, I seemed to have managed to assure them that Bali was safe. However, I was a bit shocked at the news about the bomb. It could have prompted a cancellation."

"To our relief, they decided though that we can still host the event," she said.

Hanny Surkatty, a PBVSI official who attended the Swiss meeting along with fellow official Cahyo Adi, said participants did not object to the event being staged in Bali.

"There was an attack in New York, but should people necessarily fear traveling there?" he asked.

There will be eight qualifying stages in the men's and women's categories for the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Bali will take its turn as the host of the women's matches from Aug. 20 to 24, 2003 at Seminyak beach, near the bombing site in Kuta.

The Bali qualifying match is one of three international tournaments PBVSI will host in 2003. The other two - all indoor volleyball tournaments in Jakarta -- are the Women's World Grand Prix, which features four top teams, in July, and the final round of the Asian volleyball competition in May.

While those international matches are still months away, local volleyball enthusiasts have the local Kratingdaeng Livoli Final, which starts at the Bung Karno Basketball Hall on Friday.

The three-day event, which provides a total of Rp 58 million (US$6,444) in cash prizes, features four men's teams and four women's teams. The men's category includes Samator Surabaya, Perhutani Bandung, Yuso Gunadarma Yogyakarta and Mabes TNI Jakarta, while the women's matches will be played among Bank BNI Jakarta, Petrokimia Gresik, Yuso and Perhutani.