Main batch of Indonesian athletes to depart on Sept. 5

Main batch of Indonesian athletes to depart on Sept. 5

JAKARTA (JP): The main batch of Indonesian athletes for the
upcoming SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur will depart on Sept. 5, with
officials remaining cautious about medal targets.

Indonesia will be competing in the biennial event with 541
athletes in 30 events.

Some of the teams have either already arrived in Malaysia or
will depart earlier than Sept. 5, including the soccer team which
will leave on Friday.

KONI spokesman Ahmed Solihin told reporters on Thursday that
the main part of the contingent would be officially received by
Kuala Lumpur SEA Games Organizing Committee (KULSOC) officials.

Indonesia appears to be cautious about its medal prospects,
with training director Kusnan Ismukanto refusing to state the
number of medals the country would be going after.

Kusnan said: "I guess our preparation is better than ahead of
Brunei (in 1999). We have enough money for the training, although
it came in a bit later than we would have liked.

"The athletes look fired up for the competition. Wise men say
we have to recognize ourselves and we can do that as we make a
whirlwind tour of the training grounds.

"But look, with all these provisions in hand, we don't dare as
yet speak out how many medals we will be winning," Kusnan said.
"Thailand or Malaysia might be better than us. And we don't know
their real strength. They remain closed to the outside.

"We were previously informed that Malaysia would probably be
going after 100, but when I was there they appeared to have
lowered their target to only 80," he said.

Indonesia finished third behind Thailand and Malaysia in the
last SEA Games in Brunei, the lowest placing that Indonesia had
obtained since its first appearance at the Games in 1977.

KONI officials appear to have toned down their ambitions for
this year's SEA Games. Kusnan's explanation seemed to be
something of a turnaround on the sport's organization's part.

Weeks before, rumor had it that Indonesia would be seeking
around 117 gold medals.

A series of ceremonial events are arranged for prior to the
contingent's departure.

The training camp will be declared closed on Saturday after
which the athletes will gather for their official appointments.

The contingent is expected to meet President Megawati
Soekarnoputri either on Sept. 3 or Sept. 4. A party hosted by a
number of celebrities is also scheduled.

"We want the athletes to feel they are part of society ...,"
Kusnan said.

Project manager Putera Astaman said that the Indonesian team
would stay in 10 hotels scattered between the venues, with Hotel
Dynasty being used as their information center.

The fact that the athletes are staying in hotels rather than
the athlete's compound concerned Putera, who said that they must
take precautions to make sure that the athletes don't go out at
night partying. (01)