Consortium to pay training arrears by tomorrow

JAKARTA (JP): The 19th SEA Games organizing committee's treasurer Setya Novanto confirmed yesterday that the Rp 5 billion (US$1,350,000) arrears owed for Indonesia's training program would be handed over by tomorrow at the latest.

"The consortium has said that the Rp 5 billion needed to finance the training program can be obtained in one or two days," said Novanto, who is also the National Sports Council's treasurer.

The total training program budget for the Games is Rp 35 billion but the consortium, which is responsible for financing the Rp 105 billion event, has only handed over Rp 24.32 billion.

Indonesia's chef de mission Togi Hutagaol had expected to receive Rp 4 billion of the money owed by the end of last week.

Novanto said the balance would, hopefully, be handed over on Oct. 13.

Earlier yesterday, State Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman said that the Hotel Mulia Senayan, the official athletes' village, has fulfilled its commitment to accommodate its share of the SEA Games participants.

"Today, athletes from several countries have checked in to the hotel," Hayono said after inspecting some of the venues in the Senayan sports complex.

The hotel, which was inaugurated by President Soeharto, was expected to accommodate all participants but due to technical problems the hotel is only providing 588 rooms and 20 suites, the latter for organizers and sponsors.

"The Hotel Mulia is ready to accommodate the athletes but some people have deliberately hampered its preparations by breaking the water, electricity and air conditioning systems," Hayono said.

As an example, he said there was a one-meter plank found in an air conditioning duct, which broke the system.

And taps on the 40th floor were left on which caused flooding and water to seep through to lower floors.

Problems such as these have forced the hotel, which was constructed in less than nine months, to declare itself as not ready to open all its facilities.

Antara reported that the problems forced the organizers to accommodate some soccer teams in the Hotel Horison, Ancol, North Jakarta.

The hotel's public relations officer, Ira Maya Sopha, said yesterday the hotel has accommodated athletes from Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines and Laos.

The Singapore contingent was expected to join them late yesterday.

The organizers' route, traffic and parking deputy, Subando Harwanto, said yesterday that his personnel would try to take the soccer teams from the Hotel Horison in North Jakarta to the Senayan Stadium and the Lebak Bulus stadium in less than 20 minutes, as stipulated in the SEA Games rules.

"We will close some streets when the contingent is due to pass," he said, but stressed that no streets would be closed permanently during the event.

Subando said 113 officers would be on duty for the opening and closing ceremonies in the Senayan complex in addition to 420 policemen and 30 military police officers. (yan)

Route for SEA Games opening guests:

VVIP (yellow stickers) : Semanggi interchange - Jl. Gatot Subroto - Jl. Gerbang Pemuda - Jl. Asia Afrika - Senayan West Plaza - VIP lounge.

VIP (red stickers) : a) Semanggi interchange - Jl. Gatot Subroto - Jl. Gerbang Pemuda - Jl. Asia Afrika - Jl. Silang Barat Laut - Pintu VIII

B) Semanggi interchange - Jl. Gatot Subroto - Jl. Gerbang Pemuda - Jl. Asia Afrika - Jl. Silang Barat Daya - Pintu Ramayana

Invitees (blue stickers) : - The Senayan sports hall entrance - The Senayan swimming pool entrance - The Madya stadium entrance - The Senayan tennis complex entrance - The ABC fields entrance

Route for torch relay:

Oct. 10 (South Jakarta mayoralty to the City hall): South Jakarta mayoralty - Jl. Trunojoyo - Jl. Gunawarman - Jl. Senopati - Jl. Pierre Tendean - Jl. Rasuna Said - Jl. Cokroaminoto - Jl. Sam Ratulangi - Jl. Cut Meutia - Jl. Menteng raya - Jl. Medan Merdeka Timur - Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara - Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat - City Hall.

Oct. 11 (City Hall to Senayan Main Stadium): City Hall - Jl. MH Thamrin - Jl. Sudirman - Jl. Pintu Satu - Jl. Silang Selatan - Senayan Main Stadium.