KONI hopes for sports-committed govt

KONI hopes for sports-committed govt

JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) hopes the new
government will commit to develop sports in the country because
KONI has fallen short in fund-raising ideas to finance training
for its athletes.

KONI vice chairman Arie Sudewo and secretary-general Rudolf
Warouw concurred on Monday that the organization must wait for
the results of the General Session of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR), which will elect a president on Oct. 20, before
effecting concrete measures to prepare athletes for the 2000
Olympic Games in Sydney.

KONI has proposed a Rp 124 billion (US$15.5 million) budget to
the office of state minister of youth affairs and sports to
finance athletes' preparation for three major events -- the
Olympics, the 2001 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur
and the 2002 Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea.

KONI estimates it will need Rp 6.9 billion to train athletes
for the Olympics in a centralized training program to start in
February. The council plans to send 66 athletes from archery,
badminton, beach volleyball, boxing, rowing and canoeing,
swimming and diving, taekwondo, track and field, weightlifting
and windsurfing.

"We hope that the Rp 6.9 billion could be disbursed soon.
However, it depends on the people in the Cabinet. If they have a
commitment to develop sports, I believe they won't mind
disbursing the budget soon to finance our athletes' preparation
for the Olympics. We still have no idea on who will be the new
president," Warouw said.

Arie said sports organizations would have to finance the
expenses of their athletes to compete in the pre-Olympics
qualifying round.

"Sports organizations which have financial problems have
informed us and asked for assistance. Unfortunately, we can't
expect anyone here to help us financially," he said.

"All businesspeople who are also members of KONI's donors are
in a financial crisis. We are trying to understand this
situation. We cannot even ask for contributions from the public.
While the government has yet to give a response to our proposal."

Separately, the Indonesian Yachting and Windsurfing
Association (Porlasi) told Antara news agency that it needed
US$16,130 to send windsurfer Balinese Oka Sulaksana to compete in
the prequalifying round for the Olympics in Noumea, New
Caledonia, from Nov. 10 to Nov. 20.

Porlasi's secretary-general Aji Sularto said in his letter to
KONI that Oka would be trained by Amith Inbar, a professional
surfer from Israel. Amith, world ranked eight, will accompany Oka
for three weeks in Noumea and would receive a $1,500 payment per
week.

Aji said Oka would take an intensive training program if he
qualified for the Olympics. The 1998 Asian Games gold medalist
failed to qualify in the prequalifying round in Sydney last month
when he finished 23rd.

Arie acknowledged receipt of the letter and said the council
would try to support Porlasi financially. "Oka has a world
ranking. We will try to support him."

In the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Oka finished in the top 16.

Windsurfing is not among KONI's priorities in the Olympics.
KONI has prioritized badminton, taekwondo, archery, boxing,
weightlifting and beach volleyball in its Golden Garuda project
for the Olympics.

"Windsurfing and track and field are not on our list, but we
are open to support any sports whose athletes can qualify for the
Olympics," he said. (ivy)