Jatiluhur dam ready to host SEAG events

JAKARTA (JP): The Jatiluhur dam in Purwakarta, West Java, only needs minor renovations to prepare it for the 19th Southeast Asian Games next year.

"We hope that the renovations, which are due to start in July, will be completed in September," said Soetono Goenadi, executive director of the Indonesian Rowing Association, yesterday.

The Jatiluhur dam has been the permanent home for both national and international rowing, canoeing, kayaking and traditional boat race championships.

Goenadi said that the sports will take place for a week during the Games and will offer 31 gold medals.

About 600 athletes from 10 participating countries, including Indonesia, will have to arrange for all equipment to arrive at the venue between six months and two weeks before the Games, which will be opened on Oct. 11 by the President.

The National Sports Council deputy chairman Arie Soedewo, who has inspected several venues, foresaw few problems over the dam hosting Games events.

"I expect places around the venue, like hotels, to be renovated in order to make the dam look better," he told Antara.

But Arie expressed disappointment Wednesday as some venues in the Senayan sports complex still need major renovations because they look very dirty and unfit to host an international event.

He said that most of the required renovations are of toilets and locker rooms.

"The renovations should be better than the last National Games because this time we are hosting an international event. I hope we can make Senayan like the venues in Chiang Mai, Thailand, last year, which were very clean and tidy," he said.

"I hope the Gelora Senayan management board is able to cooperate with the underwriting consortium to prepare the venues, so we won't be embarrassed by hosting the Games," he said.

Although the organizing committee has only 10 months to prepare everything for the Games, Arie expressed optimism that everything will be completed in time.

Some venues still need changes, like electronic scoreboards, improved dressing rooms and smarter VIP lounges and lobbies.

"The Istora sports hall, which will host indoor volleyball, will not be renovated because it meets international standards," he said.

Arie said that the organizers are planning to build a Rp 1.2 billion (US$508,000) artificial hockey pitch in the complex.

"We'll have two pitches, one is grass for warming-up and the synthetic for matches," he said. (yan)