Indonesia looks for SEA Games supremacy

Indonesia looks for SEA Games supremacy

By Primastuti Handayani and Ivy Susanti

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (JP): Sports supremacy in Southeast Asia
is again at stake when the 20th SEA Games opens here on Saturday.

As in the past, the Games is almost assured of coming down to
a two-team race between rivals Indonesia and Thailand. Fielding
over 350 athletes each, the region's two sports powerhouses will
battle it out for the greatest haul of the 235 gold medals on
offer in 21 events, a sharp drop from 33 events organized at the
last Games in Jakarta two years ago.

With the region finally back on the right track after two
years of its worst economic crisis in decades, hopes are high
that there will be improvement in the quality of performances at
the Games despite the absence of several famous names.

Indonesia's 1996 Olympic badminton silver medalist Mia Audina,
felled by personal problems, and Thai tennis sensation Tamarine
Tanasugarn, who is concentrating on gaining tour ranking points,
are among the conspicuous absentees.

The 354-strong Indonesian squad hopes to win about 70 gold
medals to retain its overall medal supremacy. Promising a stiff
challenge are the 361-athlete Thai contingent, which has vowed to
return home with 40 percent of the golds.

"We can reach the target, thanks to the long-term training our
athletes have undergone," Indonesian chef de mission Hindarto
said.

"But it's much more important to maintain friendship among
Southeast Asian countries," he quickly added.

Indonesia has set its sights on taking the event's opening
gold medal when the competition swings into full gear on Sunday.

The burden is on men's cyclist Tonton Susanto, who will be
battling to put his doping-tainted reputation behind him he
pedals his way over 145 kilometers in the Individual Time Trial.

"Of course, I hope to win the gold, not only for my country,
but mostly to rehabilitate my name." He was stripped of the gold
two years ago after testing positive for a banned substance.

Tonton will face tough opposition from Malaysian Syed Hussaini
Mazlan, who is competing in place of his compatriot and
Commonwealth Games gold medalist Nor Effandy Rosli.

Twenty-nine golds in track and field, billiards and snooker,
cycling, karate, swimming and tae kwon do will be on offer on
Sunday.

Indonesia is also pinning gold medal hopes on Asian Games
champion Supriati Sutono, who is setting out for another triple
in the women's 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. She
swept the three middle-distance golds in 1997, and is likely to
face similar opposition this time around.

Malaysian athletes are likely to rule the track. The Malaysian
Olympic Committee (MOC) has targeted winning 16 golds here to
retain its supremacy from Jakarta.

The universally popular draw of track and field has been the
event hardest hit by apparent indifference of the 10-competing
nations, with organizers considering scrapping several events
because of a shortage of entrants.

Most of the track events will not require heats due to the
lack of competitors, and there are three or fewer competitors in
several field competitions.

Indonesia also hopes to scoop seven from swimming and two from
diving. Men's 200m backstroke specialist Albert Christiadi
Sutanto and women's diver Shenny Ratna Amalia are the country's
best hopes to make waves in the pool.

Albert will be pushed to the limit to overcome Malaysian Lim
Keng Liat.

The Indonesian women's swimming team, in the absence of
Catherine Surya and Rita Mariani, knows that Singaporean Joscelin
Yeo is the woman to beat.

Queen of the pool Yeo, who arrived here on Thursday, denied
reports she injured her elbow during final training. She said she
was fine and was looking forward to doing well in the meet.

Several competitions began before Saturday's opening ceremony.
In Friday's soccer match, Indonesia and Singapore played to a 1-1
draw to reach the semifinals, while in men's hockey Indonesia was
held to the same score by host Brunei Darussalam.