New bowling center for 19th SEA Games

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Bowling Association signed an agreement with PT Megamulti Sportindo to use the new Galeri Kosmik Boling Kodel at Megamall Pluit complex in North Jakarta, as the venue for the 19th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in October.

"We are greatly honored that the Games organizers finally appointed Galeri Kosmik as the bowling venue for the event," PT Megamulti Sportindo's president director, K.A. Hidayat, told Antara yesterday.

The association's chairman, Oke F. Supit, said in a June 2 letter that the association had appointed the Rp 14 billion 36- lane Galeri Kosmik as the venue.

Hidayat said national athletes had practiced at the new venue for three to four hours a day for free.

At the Ancol bowling center, athletes had to pay Rp 40,000 (US$16.7) for 10 games every time they practiced.

Sugeng Surjadi, a member of Kodel board of directors, was appointed team manager.

"I don't think Sugeng can refuse the appointment," Hidayat said.

Indonesia expects to win only one of the 12 bowling gold medals on offer. At the last Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Indonesia won only a bronze medal in bowling.

Although the association has been training nine male and nine female athletes, who have been coached by American James William Godman, it still rests its hopes on veteran bowlers like Yani and Poppy Tambis. (yan)