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)