KONI quiets fears about Indonesian taking part in Olympics

KONI quiets fears about Indonesian taking part in Olympics

JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) vice
chairman, Harsuki, told reporters on Monday there was no need to
be afraid of sending a contingent to the 2000 Olympic Games in
Sydney.

Harsuki, who, with KONI secretary-general Rudolf S Warouw had
just returned from the chef de mission meeting in Sydney, was
commenting on whether Indonesia should send a contingent to the
Olympics, due to the situation in East Timor.

"Sport should not involve politics. It is stated in the
Olympic charter that each country's National Olympic Committee
(NOC) must cooperate with the host country and not allow
racialism, politics and religious affairs in sports," he said.

"So far, during our stay in Sydney, we did not see any trouble
which would affect the Indonesian contingent's security for next
year's event. Despite the fact that some Australians have written
harsh words about Indonesia, the Australian police officers are
doing a good job in protecting our diplomats," he said.

Earlier, state minister of youth affairs and sports, Agung
Laksono, said that Indonesia had three options regarding the
Olympics. First, to ask for a security guarantee for the
Indonesian contingent from the Sydney Organizing Committee of the
Olympic Games (SOCOG). Second, to send only a small contingent
and third to skip the Olympics altogether due to security
problems.

Indonesia boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow due to lack of
money for the participants.

"This time, if we boycott the Olympics it will not be for
financial reasons. SOCOG will finance all the participants'
transportation and accommodation fees," Harsuki said.

Harsuki said that he and Warouw would report the results of
the meeting to KONI chairman, Wismoyo Arismunandar, before
consulting Agung over the next step to take for the Olympics.

So far, only several athletes from tae kwon do, swimming,
diving, track and field and badminton have qualified for the
quadrennial event.

Harsuki estimates that, at the most, 50 athletes will compete
in the Olympics from Sept. 15 to Oct. 1 next year.

Tennis

Separately, the Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) deputy
secretary-general, Benny Mailili, expressed disappointment at the
result of the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) administrator
workshop in Singapore last week.

The workshop resolved that the Asian Championships in
Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei, in November would no longer serve as
the qualifying round for the Olympics.

"We don't have any chance in qualifying for the Olympics
because the new rules say the Asian Championships will not serve
as a qualifier. We can only wait for a wild card, which is not
easy to get," he said.

In the 1996 Olympics, Indonesia was represented by Yayuk
Basuki, who was ranked in the world top 30, and by Yayuk and
Romana Tedjakusuma in the doubles. Romana and Yayuk qualified for
the Olympics after winning the Asian Championships.

"The new system is unfair. But I hope our athletes can perform
well in the championships. If any of them can win, who knows they
may well receive a wild card," Benny said.

Benny named Japan, China, Chinese Taipei, South Korea and
Thailand as the only Asian countries whose players would be able
to qualify for the Olympics. (yan)