Habibie urges KONI to fight for Asiad in 2006
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)