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)