KONI announces 22 sports for Asian Games
KONI announces 22 sports for Asian Games
JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI)'s task force
announced yesterday that Indonesia would compete in 22 sports at
the 13th Asian Games in Bangkok next December.
The task force chairman, Muhammad Hindarto, told reporters
after meeting council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar that the 22
sports were track and field, badminton, boxing, canoeing,
cycling, equestrian, fencing, soccer, gymnastics, judo, karate,
rowing, sepak takraw, shooting, swimming, tae kwon do, tennis,
volleyball, weight lifting, wrestling, wushu and yachting.
"As they have been chosen to compete at the Asiad, it means
they have to work harder. The council will supervise their
training and warmups.
"If they perform badly during the preparation period, the
council will drop them from the list," said Hindarto, who is also
the council's athletes development deputy.
The task force decided the sports based on athletes'
performances during the 19th SEA Games here in October.
The task force had given the country's 31 sports organizations
one month to submit their proposals on their prospects at the
quadrennial event.
But only 26 submitted plans and the council decided to send
only 21 (canoeing and rowing are represented by one
organization).
Hindarto said the bowling, billiards and snooker, archery and
softball organizations' proposals had to be rejected because of
their slim chances of success.
He also said that although the council had decided the 21
sports, other sports organizations still had a chance to be
included in the country's team if they could perform well in
international events during the preparation period.
The council will still implement its plan to stage a 10-month-
long decentralized training scheme, which will be financed by
each sports organization, the council and some private sector
companies.
The council will then stage and fully finance a three-month
centralized training program here.
"All athletes will have to maintain the physical and mental
fitness levels they reached before performing in the 19th SEA
Games," Hindarto said.
"The council and some private sector companies will present
the Asiad budget we need to the government and hopefully the
government will support us by including the budget in the
1998/1999 State Budget," he said.
State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman urged
the council last month to submit the Asiad budget soon so he
could try to include it in the State Budget.
Soccer
Hindarto said the task force decided to give a chance to the
national soccer team because "the team has shown improving form
in the last six months and during the SEA Games matches."
In the 1995 SEA Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Indonesia
failed to reach the final. This year, Indonesia had to give up
its dream of winning the gold after losing to Thailand in a
penalty shoot-out in the final.
"We think the team has a chance in the Asiad due to its recent
results. We should not block their way to go forward," he said.
"Even though the team doesn't have any competitions to compete
in next year, the Indonesian Soccer Association can invite other
countries' team here for friendly matches," he added. (yan)