KONI to ask government to fund SEA Games training

JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) vice chairman Arie Sudewo is scheduled to meet with director general of budget of the Ministry of Finance later this month to discuss the possibility of getting financial support for the 2001 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur.

KONI deputy in charge of planning and budget Sudharno told reporters on Monday that the discussion was to follow up earlier talks made by the now-defunct office of the State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports.

"KONI will request the ministry's directorate general to financially support the SEA Games training program. The office of State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports earlier asked for Rp 99 billion (US$10.5 million) from the government for the training. After the office was closed we advised the directorate general of funding needs but it has not responded," Sudharno said.

"The directorate general might be too busy calculating the budget allocated for each province after the government implemented regional autonomy early this month."

The original budget was reduced to Rp 77 billion as the training program will be cut to less than one year from earlier plans.

KONI received Rp 1.99 billion for training from the government in November to support 1,125 athletes from 29 sports, currently training in their respective hometowns.

The council also received Rp 5 billion from the Gelora Senayan Management Board (BPGS) to help the council stage the centralized training. KONI still needs Rp 70.4 billion for next year's training programs.

Although Korean electronic giant PT Samsung Electronics Indonesia and fast food firm McDonald's Indonesia -- both companies supported Indonesia's contingent to the 2000 Sydney Olympics -- have indicated support for the idea, further discussions have yet to take place.

Sudharno said he had no idea if KONI has received sponsorships from private companies. "It's not my job to solicit sponsors."

Athletes will undergo selection based on their physical fitness later in January before training starts in February in camps located in Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Lampung and Bali.

The second phase training, emphasizing on athletes technical skills, is to begin in February.

The Games will take place in September and Indonesia will field athletes in 29 of the 32 sports featured. (ivy)