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)