KONI upset with poor preparation for SEA Games
JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) has expressed concern over the poor training preparation of some sports organizations competing in the coming 20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam in August.
Moch. Hindarto, an official in charge of athletes' development, said the hockey, rowing and sepak takraw sports bodies had not yet sent their key players to start the centralized training program for the games.
He also said the All Indonesian Soccer Federation (PSSI) had failed to respond to his request for consultation on its preparation for the SEA Games.
"I regret PSSI's absence. We have sent an invitation to them and even called up the federation's office. Why are they busy for pre-Olympic training while ignoring the preparations for the (SEA) games?" he said.
Hindarto did not give any further details, but called on the sports organization to withdraw if it was not prepared to compete in the games.
"If technically they are not prepared, what's the use of driving themselves to compete? Each sports organization must know its own readiness. So it's better for all of us to take a good look at ourselves," he said after meeting representatives from 17 sports organizations at the KONI office in Central Jakarta.
Hindarto said he would report the results of the meeting to KONI chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar on Friday. He will also discuss the situation with PSSI.
He reiterated that each sports organization must start its training program by May 7 at the latest to allow a three-month effective training period.
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.
Indonesia will compete in 20 sports: badminton, basketball, billiards and snooker, bowling, boxing, cycling, soccer, golf, hockey, karate, pencak silat, sepak takraw, shooting, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, track and field and traditional boat racing.
KONI said earlier that some 534 athletes from these sports have been groomed for the Games. Only the top athletes are invited to join the centralized training program here, which was originally scheduled for early June.
KONI also claimed that it had only received the medical test results from four sports -- boxing, taekwondo, squash and basketball. The medical test, which is obligatory for the athletes, would be used as the basis for arranging the training programs.
Imron Z.S., the head of KONI's training center who accompanied Hindarto at the meeting, said his office would conduct field tests, starting on Monday, to collect information on the physical condition and ability of athletes.
"Based on our calculations, all athletes should have gone through the competition phase. If they have not reached this stage, we will conduct a field test," he said.
Consultation
He said the tests will be followed by consultation with officials from the sports bodies and the coaches to determine whether the athlete will compete in the Games.
"If the test result show that an athlete has not reached his or her peak performance level or the athlete could not achieve this condition in the remaining three months, the coach should not force the athlete to go," he said, explaining that the state budget would limit the training programs and the size of the contingent to be sent to Brunei.
Imron said KONI would divide the 20 sports into four main groups to simplify supervision.
"We grouped the sports because their venues are close to each other," he said.
The first group consists of track and field, badminton, swimming, squash and tennis. The second group consists of basketball, billiards and snooker, hockey, soccer and rowing. The third group includes cycling, shooting, sepak takraw, taekwondo and table tennis and the last group consists of bowling, golf, karate, pencak silat and boxing. (ivy)