OCA to send observers to PON 'pencak silat'

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)