National games to reduce events: Organizers
JAKARTA (JP): Organizers of the 14th National Games (PON) in 1996 will make a bold step by reducing the number of sports competed in the quadrennial event to those contested in either Olympic Games or Asian Games.
"We are committed to treating the National Games as the platform for our athletes to reach the heights of international levels, such as the Olympics and Asiad," Surjadi Soedirdja said after being installed as the committee chairman of the country's biggest sports meet yesterday.
A total of 30 events were held in the previous PON last year, offering 436 gold medals, 436 silvers and 454 bronzes.
Surjadi, who is Governor of Jakarta, will chair the PON committee for the second successive period, following a decision by the national sports governing body (KONI) to stage the 14th Games one year ahead of the original schedule in 1997.
KONI says that 1997 is a very busy year for Indonesian people since the sixth general election since 1971 will be held, and the country will play host to the 19th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. PON has been a quadrennial event since its inauguration in 1948.
Surjadi did not go into detail as to how many sports will be contested at the 14th PON, saying "it will be decided during KONI's national congress next month." The date for the Games will also be discussed during the congress.
KONI president Surono threw his weight behind Surjadi's plan to reduce the number of events, saying it would considerably cut the budget for the Games.
The organizers were reportedly expected to raise the budget for the 1996 Games by around Rp 10 billion (US$4.6 million) from the 1993 budget of Rp 18 billion ($8.25 million).
Surono inducted a Surjadi-led committee board which was almost the same as the line-up three years ago. Deputy Governor RS Museno was reelected as the executive chairman of the committee.
Surono said from 1996 on, PON should not be staged in the same year as the SEA Games. "I will bring this issue before the congress. I think they will agree with me," Surono, who will end his four-year term next month, added.
The election of KONI's new leadership board will cap the upcoming congress. Surono had said he was ready for another four- year term.
If the congress approves of Surono's proposal, the next PON will run every four year after 1996. With the government ruling out any possibility to stage PON outside the capital city, Jakarta will host the sporting extravaganza for a record sixth time in a row.
"But never treat the PON as a routine activity just because of the fact that Jakarta has been the venue for the Games for a long time," Surono warned the host. (amd)