Habibie urges KONI to fight for Asiad in 2006
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie asked the National Sports Council (KONI) on Friday to fight hard to win Indonesia's bid to host the Asian Games in 2006.
The council chairman, Wismoyo Arismunandar, told reporters that Habibie expressed his guarded optimism that Indonesia could stage the Games for only the second time, after 1962.
Wismoyo met Habibie at Merdeka Palace to report on the council's preparations for its congress next week, which is held once every four years. Habibie agreed to open the congress on Monday.
"We proposed our plan to bring the Asian Games here as part of our long-term program to put Indonesia among the continent's sports powerhouses," Wismoyo said.
Under the program, called Golden Garuda, Indonesia sets its sights at finishing sixth in the medals standing at the 2006 Asian Games.
Wismoyo predicted that Indonesia would face a stiff challenge from Southeast Asian neighbor Malaysia, which has emerged a strong candidate following a successful Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in September last year.
KONI secretary-general Rudolf Warouw said Indonesia should start its campaign for the Asiad as soon as the national congress concludes on Feb. 24.
"It is the new KONI officials' responsibility to win our bid to host the Asian Games," Rudolf said.
"We can initiate our promotion program by sending out brochures to people across the continent. We also will work together with other institutions."
The congress will, among other things, elect new executives of the sports council. Wismoyo has been widely tipped to win his second four-year term, but was tightlipped when asked about his chances.
Some 400 sports figures from the country's 27 provinces will take part in the three-day congress, which will be held at Hotel Mulia in Senayan, Central Jakarta.
The congress is expected to establish and expand on the goals of the Golden Garuda sports development program.
"Bapak President throws his weight behind our program and calls on the nation to follow suit," Wismoyo said.
Habibie praised the Golden Garuda sports development arrangement, saying it was worth applying to generate champions in sports and encourage clean and fair sporting behavior, according to Wismoyo.
Wismoyo also told Habibie that economically stricken Indonesia would maintain its supremacy at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei in August.
Wismoyo said KONI would need only Rp 20 billion (US$2.3 million) to fund the training program for the SEA Games, compared to Malaysia's $28 million budget to win the biennial event.
A number of sports federations have suggested that Indonesia field its second-seeded athletes because the country's ace sportsmen and women are gearing up for the Olympics in 2000. (prb/amd)