KONI swings into action behind preparations for 2001 SEA Games

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is seriously preparing its athletes to regain the overall title in the 21st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur in 2001 by starting intensive discussions with 36 sports organizations on their training programs.

The National Sports Council (KONI) official in charge of athletes development, Mochammad Hindarto, told reporters on Friday that KONI asked the organizations to decide the number of athletes and coaches prepared for the games and handed over training guidelines.

"All organizations must make details of the guidelines in their training programs. We will discuss the programs in a coordination meeting in Puncak, West Java, on Sept. 27. The discussion will be attended by officials from KONI's provincial chapters, the ministry of education and culture and sports experts," he said.

Hindarto said the training programs would link with the programs for the 2002 Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea. KONI has sent a proposal on the programs to the state minister of youth affairs and sports office requesting financial support for two years training programs starting this year. However Hindarto declined to mention the budget figure.

In the SEA Games in Brunei Darussalam last month, each athlete received a training fund of Rp 1.5 million (US$188) and a monthly allowance of Rp 350,000. In the 1997 Games, each athlete got Rp 3 million for training and Rp 300,000 for a monthly allowance.

Hindarto hoped the state ministry's office would respond, at the latest, in November.

"If they don't respond in November, KONI will stage courses for coaches, who are grooming athletes for the 2000 National Games (PON). We'll provide them with skills to prepare their athletes better for the 2001 SEA Games," he said.

KONI said PON medalists had equal chance to join the SEA Games training programs as well as athletes competing in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

Hindarto said due to the limited budget, several provinces have offered to finance certain sports training programs. Central Java has offered to stage tae kwon do training while Lampung has approved to hold weightlifting training.

KONI's chairman, Wismoyo Arismunandar, urged the All- Indonesian Soccer Federation (PSSI) to arrange a better training program to win the most prestigious gold medal in the 2001 Games.

"Indonesia has failed to win the gold medal since the 1991 SEA Games. KONI urges PSSI to win the gold medal as well as to pursue the overall title in 2001," said Nugraha Besoes, PSSI secretary general, after meeting Wismoyo to report on the PSSI's national congress next week.

Indonesia went home empty-handed in the 1995 Games and only managed to earn the silver in 1997 and the bronze in 1999, during Wismoyo's leadership. (ivy)