KONI waits for lists on fund, equipment needs

KONI waits for lists on fund, equipment needs

JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) expects
sports organizations to submit lists of their equipment and
funding needs as they prepare to send athletes to overseas
competitions in preparation for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney
in September.

KONI spokesman Ahmed Solihin said at a media conference on
Tuesday the council was waiting for the lists before allocating
its budget of Rp 6.9 billion (US$920,000) for 11 sports
organizations.

"The Olympic executive director of training, Arie Sudewo,
doesn't want to have to 'sprint to the line' for the Olympic
preparations. That's why he has already asked sports
organizations to submit their equipment and budget lists," Ahmed
said after meeting with Arie and other officials.

Seven sports -- archery, diving, tae kwon do, track and field,
swimming, weightlifting and windsurfing -- have qualified
athletes for the Olympics, while 33 badminton players, seven
boxers, two judokas and two tennis players are either competing
in Olympic prequalifying rounds or waiting for wild cards entries
from the Sydney Olympic Games Organizing Committee (SOGOC).

Thirty-nine male and 32 female athletes and 25 coaches joined
the country's Olympic training program beginning on Feb. 1. The
Olympics will take place from Sept. 15 to Oct. 1.

Badminton remains the most likely sport to yield Olympic gold
for Indonesia. Indonesian shuttlers have won gold since the sport
was first included in the Olympics in 1992 at Barcelona.

Ahmed said Olympic training officials had consulted on the
training programs of five sports organizations -- badminton,
boxing, judo, tennis and windsurfing.

"Officials from the badminton, boxing and judo sports bodies
asked KONI to give them scientific training methods. While the
tennis association asked KONI to help secure wild cards for Wynne
Prakusya and Yayuk Basuki. We will send a letter to SOGOC through
ITF (the International Tennis Federation) before the March 15
deadline. The boxing association also asked KONI for financial
support," he said.

Ahmed said the Indonesian Judo Association (PJSI) would send
female judoka Aprilia Marzuki and male judoka Kresna Bayu to the
Olympic prequalifying round in Osaka, Japan, in April. Another
female judoka, Prapti Ningsih, will be unable to compete in the
event because of a recent surgery.

"PJSI will likely replace her with Ira Purnama Sari, but it
has not yet decided. A Japanese association is willing to fund
the athletes' trip to Japan. If Aprilia, Bayu and perhaps Ira
qualify in the competition, they will train either in Europe or
Japan," he said.

KONI has received Rp 2.5 billion from the Gelora Senayan
Management Board and the surplus from the 1999 Southeast Asian
Games budget to finance the Olympic training.

However, the money is only enough to finance the training
until the end of March.

The government is expected to disburse another Rp 4.9 billion
for the training program. (ivy)