KONI provides airfares for SEAG chess players

KONI provides airfares for SEAG chess players

JAKARTA (JP): The cash-strapped Indonesian chess team has been
relieved of some financial problems in its commitment to the
upcoming SEA Games where chess will be played as an exhibition
event, as the National Sports Council (KONI) will pay for its air
fares.

The aid was unveiled here on Monday, just two days prior the
team's departure to the event in Kuala Lumpur.

The announcement was a turnaround in KONI's stance regarding
the Indonesian Chess Association (Percasi). KONI, which is set to
send around 540 athletes in 29 events excluding the chess team,
had formerly stated that there was no cash available for the
chess team.

"We talked over the request by Percasi for financial support
and we decided to help the team," KONI's deputy chairman Arie
Sudewo said during his reception of the team at the office.

The visiting group was led by Percasi Chairman Machnan
Kamaludin and Eka Putra Wirya, the organization's chief in charge
of athlete development.

Arie called for the team to put up a serious fight in spite of
the fact that chess will be played as an exhibition only.

"A win will not diminish in value only because it is an
exhibition. It will surely be a source of pride to the nation,"
he said.

The eight players -- four men and four women -- will be
accompanied by four officials.

The players are GM Edhi Handoko, IM Danny Juswanto, FM Irwanto
Sadikin, Susanto Megaranto in the men's category, and Upi
Damayanti Tamim, Ai Zakiah, Tutu Rahayu, Evi Lindiawati in the
women's.

Team manager Eka Putra Wirya said that his squad would settle
for a clutch of between one and two gold medals, hopefully from
the men's individuals and team events.

In preparing for the competition the team participated in an
eight-day training camp in the Puncak, a mountain resort in West
Java, some 75 kilometers south of here. Two tryout sessions took
place -- against BNI and Gunadarma chess clubs.

Only three categories will be played: men's individual, team
and women's individual. The women's team has been dropped because
there were insufficient players as required by the rules.

The countries to take part in the chess competition include
Brunei, Myanmar, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia
and Malaysia.

The Kuala Lumpur meet may serve as a warmup arena for the
participants before they enter the real test when chess is
officially included as a medal event in Vietnam in two years
time. (01)