National games to reduce events: Organizers

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)