KONI to send 448 athletes to Brunei for SEA Games

JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) said 448 of the 549 athletes being groomed for the 20th Southeast Asia (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam would participate in the Games in August.

Moch. Hindarto, KONI's official in charge of athlete development, said on Monday the athletes would be selected through field and laboratory tests designed to determine if they could maintain their peak form during the biennial Games.

He said the tests, which began on Tuesday, would be for athletes who had yet to reach the competition phase of their training. Based on KONI's estimation, national athletes must reach the competition phase in May.

"The field tests start tomorrow (Tuesday) and will last to May 2, and the lab tests will be conducted from late April to late May. Sports organizations can conduct their own tests, such as cycling. That would be acceptable.

"We want to list athletes (for the Games) who can reach our minimal standards and their peak performances in July. If they fail, they should step out of the squad voluntarily," he said after a meeting with KONI chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar on preparations for SEA Games training.

Hindarto quoted Wismoyo as saying that all sports organization officials must assure their athletes are more disciplined in following training programs in the last three months before the Games.

Hindarto said KONI had requested Rp 22.5 billion (US$2.62 million) in financial aid for the SEA Games from the National Development and Planning Board.

Of the amount, Rp 15 billion will be used to stage the centralized training program and athlete tryouts, while the remaining Rp 7.5 billion will be used to send athletes to Brunei.

The SEA Games, to be hosted by Brunei Darussalam for the first time, will be held from Aug. 7 to Aug. 12 and will offer 235 gold medals in 21 sports.

As of last week, three sports organizations -- hockey, rowing and sepak takraw -- reported to KONI that they had failed to summon their key athletes to join the centralized training program for the Games.

Hindarto said the hockey and sepak takraw organizations must submit their list of athletes by the beginning of May, at the latest. Hindarto said the rowing organization submitted its list of athletes to KONI last week. (ivy)