OCA to send observers to PON 'pencak silat'
JAKARTA (JP): The Olympic Committee of Asia (OCA) will send representatives to observe the pencak silat competition in the 15th National Games (PON) in Surabaya, the vice chairman of the National Sports Council (KONI) Arie Sudewo said Thursday.
Arie said representatives from Thailand, South Korea and China, will evaluate the event before deciding whether or not to include the sport in the 2002 Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea.
"We want pencak silat to be featured in the Asian Games but it has to undergo a long process. We hope the sport can be exhibited in the 2002 Asian Games and Insya Allah (God willing), pencak silat can be featured in the 2006 Asiad," he said.
Arie hopes Indonesian fighters and the pencak silat event will create a good impression on the representatives.
"Pencak silat must demonstrate itself to be qualified for the Asiad. The representatives will likely decide in July or in November at the latest, whether the sport is eligible for exhibition," he said.
Arie also said that the representatives must have a realistic opinion about the sport, given the fact that pencak silat is practiced by people around the globe.
"They must realize that pencak silat has spread around the world: to Europe, Asia, New Zealand and North America. It's a universal sport. But we still have to lobby the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to feature the sport in international multisport events," he said.
Regarding PON, Arie confirmed that track and field would be featured prior to the closing ceremony instead of soccer.
"We normally stage the soccer final prior to the closing ceremony, although we have many other events which are attractive enough to close the event. So we picked track and field. The other reason we chose track and field is security. We also hope to attract young people to take part in track and field," he said.
He said that KONI would not offer bonuses to national athletes who were able to break the PON, national or regional records. However, chairman of the PON organizing committee, Imam Utomo, has lured record breakers with bonuses, because this year's PON focuses on the athletes' achievement.
Separately, project director of PT Lasindo Multimedia, which is in charge of raising funds for PON, Santoso said that the opening and closing ceremony, which will be attended by Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, will cost the organizers Rp 7.5 billion (US$882,350).
The three-and-a-half-hour opening ceremony on June 19 will include top national singers, including Chrisye, Edo Kondologit, Sherina and Armand Maulana. A performance from illusionist Deddy Corbuzier is also expected to get an active response from the vice president on the stage.
The dance segment will be choreographed by two big names; Bagong Kussudiardjo and Guruh Soekarnoputra.
Guruh, who attended Thursday's conference, said he would picked some traditional arts mainly from East Java and will include the Becak (pedicab) dance as the highlight before the ceremony is closed by fireworks. (ivy/yan)