Indonesians like athletes' village

Indonesians like athletes' village

By Robert Soelistyo

CHIANG MAI, Thailand (JP): Seeing is believing. This saying
expresses what the Indonesian team of sports officials visiting
the athletes village for the Dec. 9 to Dec. 17, 18th Southeast
Asian Games feel.

1993 SEA Games champion Indonesia, in its efforts to retain
the title, has sent ahead a six-member Games advanced team to
submit the names of its athletes and to inspect the athletes'
village.

"We find it satisfying to see the boarding facilities at the
athletes village provided by the committee," Mohammad Sarengat,
the head of the team told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

The athletes village, located a walk away from the main
stadium and sports venues, is now undergoing the final touches
before the bulk of the region's best athletes gather at the
village for the Games.

More than 4,000 athletes and officials from Indonesia,
Malaysian, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam,
Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar are expected to take part. They
will vie for 334 gold medals up for grabs in the 26 sports.

According to Sarengat, himself dubbed Asia's fastest man in
the 1960s when he won gold medals in the men's 100m and 200m at
the 1962 Asian Games, the SEA Games committee will provide food
prepared by the best hotels in Thailand.

"Food for athletes and officials will be prepared by
Thailand's best hotels and every day change from one hotel
catering to another," he said.

"I think," he added "this is a good example for Indonesia to
follow as the food will not be provided from a single
contractor."

He said his mission had been successful due to the full
assistance provided by the Indonesian Embassy staff in Bangkok,
who are keen to see their country retain the SEA Games title it
won in Singapore two years ago.

Yesterday the team also visited all the sport venues for the
Games in Chiang Mai, located some 700km north of the capital.

Modest profit

Thailand is doing its utmost to reclaim the overall title it
won 10 years ago in Bangkok. It sent all its athletes for the
Games abroad for a series of training stint.

The Games financing committee has predicted a profit of
between 20 million ($869,565) and 40 million baht would be
earned.

The Games finance committee deputy chairman Vanchak Voradik
said yesterday that he expected to collect total revenues of
Bt450 million.

Vanchak also said the Sport Authority of Thailand is planning
to add 300 to 400 extra seats in the 20,000-seat main stadium for
the opening and closing ceremonies.

The authority is now evaluating the amount of extra seats
needed.

The SEA Games finance committee had budgeted Bt380 million for
expenses, with additional expenses expected to reach Bt20
million. So the committee expects a profit of between Bt30
million to Bt40 million from the biennial sports extravaganza.