Hasan urges KONI to make Asiad bid
JAKARTA (JP): Senior vice president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Mohamad "Bob" Hasan has recommended that the National Sports Council (KONI) work together with the government to prepare its bid for the 2006 Asian Games.
"It's better for KONI to involve the state minister of youth affairs and sports office, the tourism, arts and culture ministry and the coordinating minister for people's welfare office to seriously prepare all facilities if Indonesia really wants to bid for the Asiad," Hasan said on Thursday during a visit to the Senayan Madya stadium.
Hasan, chairman of the Indonesian Amateur Athletics Association (PASI) and the Indonesian Gymnastics Association (Persani), said KONI could pick either Jakarta or Surabaya to host the quadrennial event.
"If Surabaya successfully hosts the National Games next year, maybe KONI can consider using the facilities," he said.
Countries must submit their proposals in October next year. The proposal must include information on available funds, sports facilities, the athletes village, media center, transportation, catering and security.
"For the second biggest event after the Olympics, an Asiad host must be able to accommodate about 6,000 athletes," he said.
Indonesia, which hosted the fourth Asiad in 1962, will be hard pressed to beat out other bids expected from Malaysia, Hong Kong, India, Qatar, Syria and Uzbekistan. Malaysia distributed promotional brochures on its bid during the 1998 Asiad in Bangkok.
KONI is setting up a special team to lobby OCA members on Indonesia's bid.
"To stage the Asiad, the OCA will ask for a guarantee from the bidding country's government. It needs a guarantee that the host will be ready at the scheduled time," said Hasan, who also is the president of the Asian Amateur Athletics Association.
Hasan said PASI would host the Asian Championships for athletics before the Olympics next year.
"We must consult other countries' coaches concerning when will be the right time to stage the event as a warm-up before they compete in Sydney," he said.
On Thursday, PASI began a two-day national selection contest to pick athletes for the 20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam from Aug. 7 to Aug. 15.
In the women's 100 meters heats, Irene Truitje Joseph equaled Henny Maspaitella's 14-year-old national record of 11.66 seconds. She ran 11.68 seconds in the final.
In the men's shot put, Sukraj Singh improved his own national record by 0.41 meters with a throw of 16.87 meters.
Men's pole vaulter Nunung Jayadi failed to equal his best of 5.00 meters, recorded at the Taipei Open in May, and jumped 4.80 meters.
Hasan said PASI wanted to win 10 golds at the SEA Games, but he regretted there were some potential medal-winning sports which would not be featured at the biennial event.
"We could have won golds in the men's and women's marathons, women's pole vault and women's hammer throw," he said.
Irene will run in the women's 200 meters, Supriati Sutono in the women's 1,500 meters and Nyoman Rae compete in the women's long jump on Friday.(yan)