Dragon-boat team cuts tour short

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian dragon boat team, whose winning streak was extended after a victory in the Singapore World Invitational Dragon Boat '94 championship over the weekend, were forced to cut their international tour short due to insufficient funds.

Setiawan, the team official, told newsmen here yesterday that the rowers were barred from participating in the Dragon Boat Festival in Hong Kong and the Asian Dragon Boat Tournament in China next week.

The Hong Kong race is scheduled for June 19 while the Chinese race is set for one week after.

"We are forced to return because the Indonesian Rowing and Boating Association (PODSI) does not have sufficient funds," he said.

At the same occasion Soetono Goenadi, a PODSI official, stated regretfully that "this will be the first time that Indonesia will be absent from the Hong Kong competition since 1985."

"It's a shame that our country, one of the first promoters of this event, must withdraw simply because of financial constraints," he added in a stoic voice.

The officials are understandably bitter about the financial requirements, especially since Indonesia is the undisputed regional leaders in the sport.

The same factor had also prevented the country's kayak and canoe rowers from partaking a three-week tour of the Netherlands. (hdj)