Jakarta needs more public sports facilities

Jakarta needs more public sports facilities

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Instead of converting the Menteng soccer field into a park, the
city administration should build more public sporting facilities
as existing stadiums and sports centers were inadequate to serve
the growing population in the capital, experts say.

The city, home to around nine million people, has only five
big stadiums, most of them found in East and South Jakarta, in
addition to one sports center in each of its 45 subdistricts.

"It is inadequate to serve its residents. Cities like Bangkok
and Manila, which have similar characteristics with Jakarta, have
more sports facilities than this city, which not only pleases
their residents but also boosts the country's sports
achievements," said urban sociologist Gumilar Somantri Rusliwa
Somantri.

The city administration has decided to turn the Menteng Soccer
Field in Central Jakarta into a city park complete with jogging
tracks and cafes, but noted public figures and experts have
opposed the move, suspecting that it was merely a disguise
attempt to convert the historical site into a business complex.

The conversion decision was taken despite the fact that the
city severely lacks open public sports centers. Furthermore, the
few existing sports centers are not adequately equipped with
sport facilities.

The Kembangan sports center in West Jakarta, for example,
provides only three badminton fields that attract only around
60 people in a month.

"A lot of people have asked for basketball and volley ball
courts, and I submitted the request to the Sports Agency at the
Jakarta administration last year. But, I haven't have any answer
yet," said Sabur Mandala, the manager of the sports center.

Sabur told The Jakarta Post that with an average of Rp 1
million to Rp 2 million monthly maintenance budget given by the
administration, he could do nothing to improve facilities in the
building.

He also said that nothing could be done to attract people to
come and opening cafes or shops was not considered unprofitable.

"It is too far from anywhere; who'd want to do their shopping
or eat here?," he said.

In the end, the facility is often used as a meeting hall to
facilitate events held by Kembangan district officials.

On the other hand, the East Jakarta stadium succeeds in
attracting people because it offers a swimming pool, a basketball
court, a volleyball court, an auditorium, and even a modeling
agency and dancing lessons.

Residents around the East Jakarta Stadium on Jl. Otto Iskandar
Dinata said that the stadium plays an important role because it
not only providing facilities for exercise but is also a place
where youngsters can develop their creativity.

Last Friday morning, for example, hundreds of elementary
students thronged the swimming pool while dozens of junior high
school students were preparing themselves for a traditional
pencak silat martial arts competition held in the indoor basket
ball court.

"Aside from swimming and volley ball, my daughter also took
Javanese dance and pencak silat courses at the stadium. We need
more of these kinds of facilities so that other residents can use
them," said Mrs. Lina, whose house is only 100 meters from the
stadium.

Data from the city administration's website, www.dki.go.id,
suggests that until 2000, the city only had one facility for
athletic, baseball, shooting, and hockey. (006)