Indonesian team set to swallow SEAG bitter pill
Indonesian team set to swallow SEAG bitter pill
CHIANG MAI, Thailand (JP): The 18th Southeast Asian Games
still have four days to go, but defending champion Indonesia is
already preparing itself for defeat.
Indonesian sports official Mohammad Hindarto said during the
women's tennis team final on Tuesday that the National Sports
Council had been anticipating such an outcome, in view of the
Thais' superb performance since the start of the biennial event
last weekend.
"I would not be surprised if Thailand conquered Indonesia
here. They are very keen to triumph, not only because they want
to give their king a special gift on the 50th anniversary of his
coronation. They were actually better prepared than us," Hindarto
said.
Hindarto heads the sports council's training and development
department.
Thailand quickly raced ahead from the opening day of
competition on Sunday. The host athletes appeared to stand head-
and-shoulders above defending overall champion Indonesia. As of
Tuesday, Thailand had gained 56 golds to soar to 31-gold lead
over closest rival Indonesia.
The host team is aiming to win more than 100 golds to claim
its second overall champion title at the Games. Thailand beat
Indonesia for the first time in 1985 when Bangkok hosted the
Games.
"We are not going to look for a scapegoat if we lose.
Instead, we have to admit that Thailand is better than us. We
will return home with a lot of homework to be done," said
Hindarto.
Indonesia will host the biennial event in 1997.
Hindarto played down mounting allegations by some Indonesian
coaches that Thailand has used any means to gain victory.
He said that Indonesian athletes underwent a Herculean
training stint ever in the run-up to the Games, but that,
"unfortunately, Thailand's athletes were more diligent in
adhering to their training programs. They have left us far
behind," Hindarto said.
Thailand started grooming its sportsmen and women for the
current Games shortly after the conclusion of the 1993 Games.
"They set their sights on higher achievement in the 1998 Asian
Games while they were training for the SEA Games," Hindarto said.
Indonesia kicked off its training program for the Games only
in April this year.
Learning
Thailand is hosting the SEA Games in Chiang Mai, 700
kilometers north of Bangkok, in conjunction with the city's 700th
anniversary, which falls next year. The Thai government provided
no less than five billion baht (US$208 million) for the Games.
Preparations included the building of a new sports complex.
Hindarto said Indonesia should learn from Thailand about the
manner in which preparations should be made for such a major
event big event. He added that national athletes should be told:
"Don't feel ashamed to follow in Thailand's footsteps."
"Close cooperation between the government and sports
institutions should be forged if we take our sports performance
seriously," he said.
He added that the sports council, the Ministry of Education
and Culture and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had
initiated a "back-to-basics" talent-scouting program which will
target elementary schools as the key to Indonesia's sports
future.
The plan includes an overhaul of the Ragunan Athletes School
in South Jakarta.
"We will tightly restrict the school's pupils to those who
have great potential in sports, beginning in 1997," Hindarto
said.
The council also hopes to discover new talent in every corner
of Indonesia, he added. (amd)