Indonesia plans 'cheap package' for 2003 SEAG

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

With the 2003 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Vietnam still less than a year away, Indonesia has unveiled a plan to lobby for a number of sporting events in which it has better medal prospects.

M. Hindarto, an official of the National Sports Council (KONI), said that his group would seek the inclusion of a number of the events in which Indonesia had, in the past, won more games than 25 percent of the number of gold medals on offer.

"We are supposed to do with a 'cheap package' for the 2003 SEA Games," Hindarto said, signaling the prospect of a potentially difficult campaign, especially when it comes to raising funds for the athletes' preparation.

The events falling into this category include wrestling, badminton, swimming, cycling, rowing, pencak silat, weightlifting, judo, shooting, archery, fencing, canoeing, traditional boat racing, and bodybuilding.

"Such a policy gives consequences that we will also be prioritizing to prepare athletes in those disciplines," Hindarto, who is in charge of athletes' development, told reporters at KONI's office on Wednesday.

"But the door is still open for any other sport that does not fall into that category, if we are to join the competition. We will talk further about the issue with the sports organizations," he said.

KONI has also applied a strict policy about the athlete selection ahead of the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea.

About 170 athletes from 19 sporting disciplines are currently training Asia's biggest sporting event.

Meanwhile, the upcoming biennial sporting showcase among the Southeast Asian nations will run in November 2003.

The number of sporting events to be competed will not be officially announced until 12 months before the start of the games. However, Vietnam, as Hindarto said, has indicated that it would feature as many as 31 events.

While athletics and aquatics are imperative to the games, other events are at the host's privilege to decide, taking into account other countries' aspirations.

As far as the hosting nation is concerned regarding its medal hunt, Vietnam looks set to contest fin-swimming, a traditional diving-like sport originating from China.

The plan, according to Hindarto, was revealed in a letter to KONI, in which Vietnam is also almost certain to put in women's wrestling and non-Olympic chess.

KONI will send a delegation, led by KONI vice-chairman Arie Sudewo, to Vietnam for a council meeting on Saturday.

"We will discuss what events are likely to be competed for in the games," Hindarto said.