KONI calls sports bodies to prepare for SEA Games

JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) called sports organization officials to attend a meeting on Monday to discuss the country's preparation for the 2001 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur.

KONI vice chairman, Arie Sudewo, told reporters after the meeting that the results would be brought to the SEA Games Federation council meeting in Kuala Lumpur from March 9 to March 12.

"We discussed which sports would possibly be featured in the next Games. We don't want athletes from some sports to be unrepresented and feel forced by KONI to fight to be featured," said Arie, who is also the centralized training executive director for the 2000 Olympics, 2001 SEA Games and 2002 Asian Games.

Arie said he still had no idea of the number of sports to be featured next year.

"Ten members of the SEA Games Federation will decide which sports will be featured in next year's Games. However, Indonesia needs to lobby participating countries to support sports in which we excel, to be featured in the biennial event," he said.

"KONI will also urge sports organizations to lobby their international and Asian federations to feature the sports."

Speaking on the Olympics preparation, Arie said athletes who had qualified for the quadrennial event in Sydney in September still had a chance not to compete due to their performance during the training programs.

"If any athletes show a flat or decreasing graphic of performance, KONI will think twice about sending them to the Olympics. By joining the training center, we hope athletes will improve their performances," he said.

Some sports are still in doubt on their inclusion the Olympics. Boxing, judo, table tennis and wrestling are still included in the Olympic qualifying round.

Arie said earlier that KONI would only focus on 10 sports -- archery, badminton, boxing, judo, swimming, diving, tae kwon do, track and field, tennis, weightlifting, windsurfing -- and exclude table tennis and wrestling from the list.

"But the policy is made by chairman, Wismoyo Arismunandar. If he decides to include table tennis and wrestling, I'll do that." (yan)