Kayaking event draws 28 int'l athletes
<p>Kayaking event draws 28 int'l athletes</p><p> MEDAN, North Sumatra: The organizer of the 2001 Asahan
Whitewater Festival (AWF) was pleasantly surprised that the
number of competitors pledging to participate reached some 200
including 28 international athletes.</p><p>"We did not expect the number of participants to get to that
number considering the current global and domestic situation. It
turned out that England's best kayakers Allan Allard and Jonny
Pearson have decided to participate," organizer Yahdi Khoir said
on Wednesday.</p><p>"Other participants come from countries such as Malaysia, New
Zealand, Norway, Russia and South Africa," he added.</p><p>The second AWF starts on Thursday and will end on Monday.
Athletes will be competing for US$25,000 in prize money in
kayaking and Rp 30 million ($2,700) for rafting events. The
inaugural Asahan festival was held last November.</p><p>Meanwhile, Asahan Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Bambang Waskito
said he would deploy 160 security personnel at the venue
including 20 officers to safeguard the international competitors.
-- JP</p>
Whitewater Festival (AWF) was pleasantly surprised that the
number of competitors pledging to participate reached some 200
including 28 international athletes.</p><p>"We did not expect the number of participants to get to that
number considering the current global and domestic situation. It
turned out that England's best kayakers Allan Allard and Jonny
Pearson have decided to participate," organizer Yahdi Khoir said
on Wednesday.</p><p>"Other participants come from countries such as Malaysia, New
Zealand, Norway, Russia and South Africa," he added.</p><p>The second AWF starts on Thursday and will end on Monday.
Athletes will be competing for US$25,000 in prize money in
kayaking and Rp 30 million ($2,700) for rafting events. The
inaugural Asahan festival was held last November.</p><p>Meanwhile, Asahan Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Bambang Waskito
said he would deploy 160 security personnel at the venue
including 20 officers to safeguard the international competitors.
-- JP</p>