KONI to send 448 athletes to Brunei for SEA Games

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)