Indonesia's Asiad attendance 'need review'
Indonesia's Asiad attendance 'need review'
JAKARTA (JP): The deepening financial crisis should prod the
National Sports Council (KONI) to consider sending a small team
to the 13th Asian Games in Bangkok in December, former secretary-
general of the council Kahpi Suriadiredja said yesterday.
He said the council's plan to send a big team to compete in 21
sports in the quadrennial event was unrealistic because it would
be unable to cover daily expenses of athletes during their stay
in Bangkok.
"Having a lot of people in a team will only lay heavy
financial burdens. It will not be that easy to provide the
athletes with meals three times a day," said the retired Marine
lieutenant general.
"We can send a big team only if we have enough money. If not,
just don't push ourselves too hard."
Kahpi, who held his tenure from 1990 to 1995, suggested that
the council should pare down its team to athletes from six sports
Indonesia has good medal-winning chances. The shortlist of sports
included badminton, weightlifting and tennis, according to him.
The sports council announced in February that Indonesia
planned to select about 150 athletes who would represent it in 21
events in the Asian Games.
But with most sports organizations blaming financial shortages
for long delays in getting their respective training programs
started, the council's deputy chairman Arie Sudewo pondered
recently a major downsizing of the team.
Kahpi also criticized national athletes for their lack of
professionalism.
"Most of them only love to win, instead of playing well,
practicing hard and applying self-discipline."
Gregarious Kahfi suggested a way out of the specter of
oblivion in sports by raising funds for sports activities from
casinos and other gambling sources.
He said the government formerly allowed gambling in the
country when then minister of social services Haryati Soebadio
issued a decree to legalize the Sumbangan Dana Sosial Berhadiah
(SDSB) national lottery in 1988.
The fund collected from SDSB, literally translated as
"philanthropic donation with prizes" was earmarked to used
largely to finance sporting and social activities in the country.
Kahfi proposed a gambling center on a designated island which
would be controlled and run by the government. The Morotai island
chain in north Maluku is an option, he said.
He said it would be better for the government to allow certain
gambling arenas to open so that people would not organize illicit
gambling dens or travel to gambling venues outside the country.
"Who gets the benefit from cruise ships and fleeing gamblers
to Las Vegas or Genting Highlands?" he said. (emf)