Hockey field to be ready by September

Hockey field to be ready by September

JAKARTA (JP): The hockey field under construction at the
Senayan Sports Complex is expected to be completed by the end of
August.

The Gelora Senayan Management Board director Saptodarsono told
reporters yesterday that the construction was waiting the
delivery of synthetic turf by American company Astro Turf.

"If the carpet arrives by mid-August, we can finish the
construction by the end of this month," he said.

Soekamto, the board's deputy for facilities development, said
the civil works were conducted from June 19 to July 31.

The asphalting work, which will have two layers, will take
place from Aug. 1 to Aug. 10. The asphalt takes two weeks to dry.

"The process will be supervised by Astro Turf," Soekamto said.

The installation of the synthetic turf will take one week and
is expected to start on Aug. 24.

"Then we only have to wait for the International Hockey
Federation to test the field," he said.

Saptodarsono said the field may have a temporary bleacher for
spectators, if there was not enough time to construct a permanent
one.

The 19th SEA Games consortium, chaired by President Soeharto's
son Bambang Trihatmodjo, provided Rp 1.2 billion (US$461,540) to
build the field, excluding the bleacher and changing rooms.

"We'll discuss the budget with the consortium later," he said.

Saptodarsono accompanied the Asian Hockey Federation president
Sultan Azlan Shah, secretary-general Dato Seri P. Alagendra and
the Indonesian Hockey Association chairman Raj Kumar Singh during
a visit to the field yesterday.

Alagendra, also deputy president of the Malaysian Hockey
Federation, told reporters yesterday that the field will be
finished in time.

"We must be optimistic that the field will be completed in
time. We shouldn't be doubtful," he said.

The new field must have four changing rooms, instead of two as
planned.

Alagendra said that a synthetic turf field means Indonesia can
invite strong countries such as Pakistan, India, Germany and
Poland, for friendly matches.

Sultan Azlan Shah, also president of the Asian Hockey
Federation and the International Hockey Federation, said this
would enable Indonesia to boost its hockey performance.

"If they have more experience, they can improve their
performance at international events," he said.

Malaysia has 12 fields and will soon have two more, while
India has 22. Other Asian countries -- South Korea, China and
Hong Kong -- only have one each while Pakistan has two.

The Netherlands has 383 hockey fields. (yan)