'Kompas' to be official paper for SEA Games

JAKARTA (JP): The SEA Games consortium has appointed the Kompas daily the official newspaper for the 19th SEA Games to be held here in October.

Under an agreement signed by Kompas corporate head A Roesilah K. and consortium official Enggartiasto Lukito Wednesday, the paper will have four more pages on the event every Friday from today until Oct. 31.

The additional four pages will be published as part of its regular editions while its journal will appear separately from its regular pages, both in Indonesian and English.

The daily plans to publish the journal once a month in the run-up to the SEA Games and everyday from the start (Oct. 20) till the end of the event (Oct. 30).

Kompas' managing editor, August Parengkuan, said the cooperation was part of the daily's commitment to promote the sporting event and the country's sporting development.

Earlier, the National Sport Council's chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar said the council sought support from all media, both print and broadcast, to help ensure the success of the SEA Games.

Wismoyo asked the media not to write articles that might hinder the athletes' performances.

He said Indonesia wanted success on two levels at the Games: both in taking back the overall champion title from Thailand and as the host.

Wismoyo, however, said the biggest task was to win back the overall champion title which was won by Thailand when Chiang Mai hosted the region's biggest sports meeting in 1995.

At the 1995 Games, Thailand won 157 gold medals, Indonesia was a distant second with 77 golds and the Philippines third with 33 golds. (03)