Indonesia pursues bid to host 2006 Asian Games

Indonesia pursues bid to host 2006 Asian Games

JAKARTA (JP): The country is refusing to drop its proposal to
host the 2006 Asian Games despite pressure from neighboring
Malaysia, which is also bidding for the event.

National Sports Council (KONI) vice chairman Arie Sudewo said
on Friday that Indonesia wanted to show other Asian countries
that it could act as a good host for the quadrennial event
although it was not in serious medal contention.

"We will wait for the Malaysians to talk to us for the best
solution, but it doesn't mean we must withdraw from the bidding.
We are remaining consistent with our stated intention.

"Take Brunei Darussalam as an example. The country showed it
could be a good host for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and
bring honor to the country, but it did not aggressively pursue
the Games title."

Arie reminded that Indonesia previously hosted the Asian Games
once in the 1962. He also said KONI would reallocated portions of
its budget to support the campaign.

"We are prepared to host the Asiad, that's why we are bold
enough to bid to host the Asiad," said the retired Army
lieutenant general.

Separately, Antara reported that the Olympics Council of
Malaysia (OCM) would request that its government coax Indonesia
to withdraw from the bidding.

"It's up to the government on how to approach Indonesia to ask
the country to pull out of its bid to host the Asiad," said OCM
president Tan Sri Imran ibni Tuanku Ja'afar in Kuala Lumpur on
Thursday.

Tan Sri Imran said that OCM could take steps to ask Indonesia
to withdraw but the council apparently opted for the diplomatic
approach involving the government of both countries.

He said the SEA Games Federation insisted that only one
Southeast Asia country should bid as the Asiad host.

Malaysian Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Tan Sri Dato
haji Muhyiddin said in Brunei last week that the president of the
Olympics Council of Asia (OCA), Sheikh Jabbar Ahmad Al-Sabah,
personally approved of Malaysia's bid regardless of the fact that
another Southeast Asia country, Thailand, hosted the Asiad last
year.

Hong Kong, India, Qatar, Syria and Uzbekistan also have
expressed interest in hosting the event. OCA will announce the
2006 Asiad host in November.

Malaysia is banking on its success in hosting the Commonwealth
Games last year to help in its bid.

Muhyiddin said Kuala Lumpur would use sports facilities built
for the Commonwealth Games in the Shah Alam Sports Complex to
stage the sports event. Apart from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia also
plans to hold the Asiad in two more locations of Penang and Johor
Baru. (ivy)