Four sports get reprieve for SEAG

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The National Sports Council (KONI) will send athletes in four sports deemed unlikely to medal in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, despite an earlier declaration that only those with strong prospects would leave for the Philippines.

The sports are men's golf, women's basketball, women's squash and women's soccer.

KONI head of development affairs Djoko Pramono said on Thursday the athletes would still be expected to do their utmost in next month's competition.

"They might not have a chance to win a medal, but every sport will have to be responsible to the public after they return home," he said.

He urged coaches to push their athletes to work hard before and during the Games to achieve their goals.

On Wednesday, the organization announced that it would send a total of 628 athletes -- 367 men and 261 women -- to the Games.

The athletes will be accompanied by 137 local coaches, 21 foreign coaches, nine technical experts, 38 managers and 297 officials for a 925-strong contingent.

National athletes will compete in 348 of 441 divisions from the 36 of 41 sports events.

In the 2003 SEA Games, Indonesia was third in the medal standings after host Vietnam and Thailand. KONI conceded earlier this year that the team would probably vie for second place with Vietnam and the Philippines, behind regional sporting powerhouse Thailand.

National athletes are weak in swimming and athletics, two sports which provide the bulk of medals.