KONI seeks Rp 27.8b for Asian Games

KONI seeks Rp 27.8b for Asian Games

JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) has submitted
to the government a proposed budget of some Rp 27.8 billion
(US$2.9 million) to finance the national team's preparations for
the Pusan 2002 Asian Games.

The 2002 Asiad is slated to be held from Sept. 29 through Oct.
14 in the southern South Korean port city.

"KONI submitted the proposal to the Ministry of National
Education before the Indonesian contingent left for Kuala Lumpur
for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games," KONI's official for
planning and budgeting, Togi Mangara Hutagaol told reporters on
Tuesday.

KONI will begin an intensive training session for athletes
selected for the Asian Games in January.

"We drafted the budget in coordination with officials
responsible for athlete development to determine the number of
athletes that would qualify for the Asiad," Togi said.

The budget also covers fees for a number of foreign coaches
and overseas outings.

Togi acknowledged that the proposal was a rough projection.

"With the government still deliberating the 2002 State Budget
with the House of Representatives (DPR), KONI hopes that the
proposal will be accepted," he said.

He said the state funds to be used to finance the Asian Games
project could be trimmed by establishing priorities of
activities.

Interviewed separately, diving coach Harly Ramayani hoped that
KONI would prepare its athletes more seriously for the Asiad by
having a longer preparation phase.

"KONI should drop its attitude of considering the preparation
process as a mere crash program," she told The Jakarta Post.
"Such an approach has resulted in our failure in the SEA Games
because our athletes did not have enough time to prepare
themselves."

Harly also said that she would focus only on grooming young
divers for the Asiad.

"I will focus on shaping up Shenny Ratna Amelia because she
has the commitment as well as potential to further develop
herself," she said.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Karate-do Federation (Forki) will
only recruit between two and four athletes for the Asiad and all
will compete in the kumite (fighting) event.

"We hardly had a chance to grab gold medals in kata (martial
arts), which traditionally were won by Japanese karatekas," said
Forki's official for athlete development, Tono Soe'oed.

He said Forki had no plan to hold tournaments to select its
Asiad-bound athletes.

"KONI has made it public that those who won gold medals in the
Kuala Lumpur SEA Games would be given the opportunity to join the
training sessions for the Asian Games," he said.

Forki is also grooming fighters for the Asian Karate-do
Federation (AKF) Championships to be held from Oct. 29 until Nov.
5 in Genting Highlands, Malaysia. (nvn)