Indonesian team stranded in Sicily

Indonesian team stranded in Sicily

JAKARTA (JP): Teams from Indonesia, Russia, Ukraine and
Australia were stranded not long after they arrived at Catania,
Sicily, Sunday to take part in the world student games.

Indonesian team member Suparman reported from Catania that the
four teams were stranded because of the Universiade organizing
committee's poor organization.

"We were stranded for 16 hours at Palmero airport after we
arrived at 6 a.m. Our athletes and officials had to go without
food and all of them looked pale," Antara quoted Suparman as
saying.

Suparman also said no liaison officer from the organizers
welcomed the four teams. "It was not until 10 p.m. that the
Indonesian team was taken to the Hotel La Perla Ionica."

According to Suparman, one of the main problems the team faced
was poor communications because not all the organizers could
speak English.

"We had to spend some time communicating as the organizers did
not know very much English," Suparman said.

The chairman of the country's students sport organization,
Enoch Markum, and the organization's secretary-general, Eko
Djatmiko, expressed dissatisfaction with the poor service.

But both Enoch and Eko hoped the poor service would not affect
the athletes' competitive spirit.

"I only hope that our athletes are not influenced by the
organizers' poor service but instead perform as optimally as
possible. This Universiade will be a test case for the athletes
in the upcoming SEA Games," Enoch said.

Indonesia has sent 60 athletes to the biennial gathering to
compete in five events; swimming, gymnastics, men's volleyball,
athletics and fencing. Most of the athletes are also taking part
in the 19th SEA Games in Jakarta in October.

Among the Indonesian athletes are Jonathan Sianturi
(gymnastics), Rita Mariani, Richard Sam Berra, Wisnu Wardhana and
Meitri Pangestika (swimming), Paulina Ratu and Hendry Lenzun
(fencing) and Imam Agus Faisal (volleyball).

The 9th Universiade is scheduled to open tomorrow at Palmero.

Ukraine also had a bad experience when its team was told to
get off the bus which was taking it to the athlete's compound.

One of the Ukrainian officials was disgusted over the poor
service and pounded on the bus door several times and ordered the
driver to get out. Although there was no physical attack the
quarrel between the Ukrainian and the official continued for two
hours. (lnt)